Returning Echoes
by silkendreammaid
Summary: Four years and Edward returns home... with changes. Thirty-Seventh Chapter: Arrivals and Reports. FemEdRoy
1. A Small Matter Of Equivalence

**Returning Echoes **

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, FullMetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Small Matter of Equivalence**

"For the last damned time, I do not want to be called Mary!!"

Edward Elric screamed at his brother, his voice cracking it was raised so high.

"But you ..."

"No, Al. My name is Ed and that's what it will stay." Ed glared at his younger brother, stubborn eyes of gold meeting equally stubborn ones of grey.

Al threw his hands up in the air, reminiscent of an old mannerism of Ed's. "Fine," he conceded grudgingly, then carried on, "but it's not..."

"I know it's not, Al. But I don't care. Mamma gave me this name and it's who I always will be, no matter what."

Al sighed, he had no response to that and Ed knew it. There were bigger problems to be faced but having a shouting match over Al's facetious remark had released some of the tension in both of them. After all, it's not every day that your younger brother brings you back from the Gate. Nor was it just any other day when you discover that your older brother is now your older sister because you didn't get the equivalency rates quite right.

Now Al knew exactly how guilty his brother had felt all those years ago.

* * *

Al sighed as he looked up at the moon. He stretched his thin frame much like a cat til his muscles shook slightly then relaxed back into himself and settled into the comfortable niche he had made amongst the rubble.

His brother was asleep. Ed had done little but sleep and rant since his return six hours ago. Not that Al blamed him, if anything he thought Ed had been remarkably self-controlled considering. Al knew he would have had full-blown hysterics if the same thing had happened to him. Not for the first time today, Al felt the wave of guilt sweep through him. He had prided himself on his theories and his knowledge and his determination to have everything perfect but he had failed at the last moment. Oh sure, Ed was back, almost whole, almost normal. It was just a small hitch, how could he have known that it would have had such an effect.

"I have a sister." Al groaned. Ed was never going to forgive him for this. Then because Al was a very intelligent young man he suddenly realised that there were several other people who would also probably never forgive him either when they found out.

He closed his eyes briefly and thought back over the last few days. For four years he had been searching for his brother, seeking a way to bring him back from the other side of the Gate. Al had never believed that Ed was dead, he had never given up hope. His brother always came back, his brother always kept his promises.

It had taken him six months to calculate and configure the array. Six months of reading and researching obscure texts and mouldy old manuscripts in every dingy library and bookshop from Dublith to Xing and all points between. He had travelled with nothing but the clothes on his back and a suitcase filled with notes. He had developed theory after theory. None of them had given him the answer. It had taken him three months to realise that by combining parts of several arrays he could at last get an idea of what he needed. It had renewed him and he had plunged even further into study. And then he did it. He designed the array that would work, that had to work. And it wouldn't just bring Ed back. It would bring him back whole and complete in all ways. Al had not spent four unsleeping years as a suit of armour for nothing. He had calculated the costs and balances for getting Ed's limbs back on many a long night and now he had the array that would do it.

It had taken him two days to draw it. He had to find a place to draw it. Somewhere large and abandoned. He spent a week looking for a suitable place. He considered the underground city but that was too close to the military. He considered the island but he didn't want to be that far from help if something did go wrong. Not that it would of course. In the end, he came back to here. The place it had all begun so many years ago. Their burnt out ruin of a house. He had made an underground chamber and drawn out the circles in chalk. He had checked and double checked every line, every curve, every single symbol. It had looked perfect. He had spent a whole day verifying it and then going over every line again to make them thicker, more substantial.

It had taken him two minutes to screw it up. The moment he placed his fingertips to the array the bright lights of a successful reaction had sparked and he had smiled, his mind gloating at the array's perfection. He had felt himself reaching out, his soul searching for the essence that was Ed. Slow minutes had ticked past as he searched and then it had all fallen apart. The Gate had noticed him and demanded its payment. He had calculated the equivalencies to the last decimal point or so he thought. The Gate bluntly told him he was wrong and offered him the Truth, but Alphonse did not want it. All he wanted was his brother. Two minutes later his brother appeared in the middle of the array and the Gate had taken the balance owing from Edward.

Al sighed again. He was so dead when Ed woke up.

* * *

Ed opened his eyes and looked around the dimly lit cavern. He sighed and heard it echo. He still felt very tired. Four hours sleep was not enough time to recover from passing through the Gate again. He knew he'd probably need another week to fully recover from it. He stretched his legs out one at a time and relished again the feeling of two sets of muscles tensing and tingling as he moved them. Damn, but it felt good to have normal legs again. It almost made up for the other change in his anatomy. Almost but not quite. After all not only had he changed sex, but his arm was still missing.

Edward groaned softly. He was now female. He had no idea of what being a female entailed. He knew what it meant anatomically but that was going to be scant help. He had lived with a female but she had read his mind, not he hers. What was he supposed to do now? How was he even going to manage being like this until they could reverse it and could it even be reversed. Ed shuddered at that thought. It had better be.

He puffed out his next breath and sat up. Fortunately the clothes he had on were comfortable and concealed his new physique. But it was still disconcerting to Ed to feel his shirt and trousers fitting different. The materials rubbed and stretched in new ways and it was un-nerving. It was like wearing the wrong size only worse, he thought.

He raised his hand, he had taken the glove off earlier and he looked again at the slender and definitely more feminine hand. He would have to get his automail back and modified to suit his new appearance. He grunted at the thought of that and then paled totally at the thought of how Winry would react to his changed … circumstances. And then there was Mustang and all the others. Ed broke out in a cold sweat. He was so dead, and so was Al he thought.

Ed dropped his head into his hand. Al. At least there was a bright side to all this. He was back home and Al, his little brother, was alive and well. And he had yet to be really grateful and happy at being home. He had gone straight into a two hour rant to hide the shock of suddenly being back in Amestris. And he had used it to cover the bone deep tiredness he still felt. Screaming at your brother because he had changed your sex on you was the probably the best excuse he had ever had for ranting. But most of all he had wanted to hide the anger he had felt towards Al for putting himself in so much danger by attempting it in the first place. What ifs tumbled around his brain. He could have lost Al and he would never have known. For four years, the thought of Al being alive and safe at home had kept him sane in the world beyond the Gate.

Ed stood up and began to walk across the array drawn on the floor. He looked at it and marvelled at its complexity and beauty. His little brother really was quite the genius. It was shame about his small error. Ed sighed. Equivalent exchange just did not like him.

Ed picked his way up a small sloping passage and was rewarded with the sight of a bright full moon and starry sky. He frowned at the familiarity of the stars then his mouth opened as he realised just exactly where he was. The first home he could ever remember. The only place that had truly been home.

"Nice spot to pick, Al," he mumbled with easy sarcasm.

"I thought so" Al replied from his position. Ed spun around and picked out the shape of his brother amongst the stones. A faint stench of smoke still lingered as he moved across to sit beside him.

Al was taller, Ed thought with a passing frown. And his face still has that innocence to it, despite being what… eighteen now. His hair's quite short, I wonder why he cut it. He always said he'd grow it long one day. He was dressed in black shirt and trousers and seemed thinner than he should be despite the thickness of the coat hanging around his shoulders. But Ed was caught up in his eyes. Grey eyes, he knew, with so much intelligence and honesty in them. Eyes that had seen too much and yet had never let it shadow him. Eyes that held everything Ed had worked for, everything he had struggled and sacrificed for. Life. His brother. Perfect and alive.

"I never thought I would see you again, Al." Ed wrapped his only arm around Al and leant against him. His brother was warm solid flesh and Ed had never been happier. He felt his eyes prickle and blinked furiously. There was no way he was going to cry like a girl … even if he was one.

* * *


	2. Moving Forward

**Returning Echoes **

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, FullMetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Moving Forward**

"I always knew you weren't dead, Bro… I mean Sister... umm, Ed." Al stuttered as they sat together in the shadowed niche.

"I am still your brother, Al. A few biological alterations won't change that." Ed grunted, not willing just yet to disturb the peace between them.

"You were gone and they said you were dead. But I knew you weren't. You'd never leave, you'd never leave _me._" Al stressed the word quietly. It had hurt not knowing where his brother was, believing against all hope that he was alive, that he would return. There had been a couple of times when he had reached the point of almost attempting human transmutation again. Mustang had managed to stop him, recognising in time the signs of growing desperation and had later pointed out that if Ed did come back the first thing he did would be to murder his brother for being so reckless and then Mustang for letting him do it. "All this time I kept trying to find you, to find some way to bring you back, or if not, to go to where ever you were." A hint of the gnawing desperation he had felt edged his words.

"You wouldn't have liked it there, Al, trust me." Ed snorted. "Much better for me to come home."

Al shook his head and looked away. "And I couldn't even do that right" he muttered. Al didn't like making mistakes. It was a personal insult to him and his need for theoretical perfection but this one was worse because it had rebounded onto his brother.

"Don't be stupid, Al!" Ed slapped lightly at Al's arm and frowned at him. "I saw that array. It's brilliant, a work of genius. Only you could have done that, only you could have even _thought_ of something so magnificent. The problem wasn't with the array…"

"But it was, Brother! I didn't calculate the correct equivalencies. It's my fault you're not normal. I made a mistake, I was _wrong_." Equivalent exchange had strict and rigid rules and Al had thought he'd abided by them. Was it the allowances he had misjudged or had it been the materials...? No, he wasn't going to think about that yet.

Ed stood up and moved to stand in front of Al. He began to feel rather angry with his brother. Ed could sense the guilt and blame taking root deep inside Al and he knew exactly how it felt to cause your brother pain. The echo of desperation he had sensed earlier was a double edged sword he knew well. Being desperate doubled your concentration and focus but it could also lead you into error and miscalculation. And that _always_ hurt the people closest to you. Ed had done this to his brother during their first transmutation. His desperation had caused the backlash that had stripped Al of his body. And now Al was trapping himself in the same guilt of thinking that _this was all my fault because I was too desperate and reckless._ Ed was not about to allow his little brother to suffer that belief.

"_I'm not normal_?" He hissed at his brother before his voice soared into the night with his arm furiously punctuating every word. "Of course I'm not normal. I've _never _been normal, Al! _We've_ never been normal! You were a fucking suit of armour, Al! I was half metal! But we were _human_, Al and we still _are_." Ed took a deep breath and looked hard at his brother. "Shit happens Al, and it will _always_ happen to us. It is _not_ your fault, Al. Besides as long as we're both here together, does it _really_ matter?"

Al grimaced at his brother's determined face. No matter what Ed might say, Al knew it was his fault. He knew where the blame lay. He had failed and he would be reminded of it every time he looked at his _sister_.

"Oh no you don't." Ed waggled a finger at him. "Don't you look at me like that and then go and bottle it up inside somewhere. You can't get away with that when I'm here, _Brother_. Four years it took to get your body back and another four to get us back together. Eight years of our lives, Al. Are you trying to tell me we were _wrong_ to try to correct our mistakes?"

"No, of course not. But Ed, this is different. This is…"

"This is no different, Al. It's the price we've paid. Think about it, every time we've gone near the Gate there's been a cost and we have never, not ever, not once, been afraid to pay it. We have _died_ for each other, Al." Ed paused and then smiled at his brother. "Honestly Al, I would rather be here like this than not at all. You once told me that you never blamed me for what I did to you and now I say to you that _I do not_ _blame you for this_. This is not your fault. _I could never hate you Brother._"

"But, but…" Al looked at his brother. The one person who could convince Al to admit, albeit grudgingly, to himself that perhaps he hadn't failed completely was standing right in front of him. The one person who had never let him down, who had always believed in him, had protected and had always seen him as human and whole. The one person who loved him unconditionally for all that he had been and all that he was. Al's lips curved upwards in a wobbly twitch as his eyes felt blurry. It was a poor attempt at a smile but Ed saw it and laughed softly as he cuffed the side of Al's head with his hand.

Later when they had time, Ed knew they would both sit down and go over the calculations and the array and he knew that Al would again start to take the guilt trip. Guilt and blame were something he had had too much experience with. Along with human transmutations. Al had come so close to the ethical edge with that array of his. Ed had the random notion that if Al had brought him back as a homunculus his name would be Guilt. He shivered at that and looked at his brother.

"No buts, Al. We will get through this somehow." Ed paused and Al heard him swallow. "I'm more worried about how Winry is going to react."

Al's jaw dropped and he groaned. "Oh no, she'll kill us." He whispered and felt Ed nod in miserable agreement as he moved back to sit next to his brother again.

"I'm going to need a whole new arm, Al, port and all. And she'll have to redesign it to make it look more… feminine." Ed almost growled at that. "She is going to scream at me for disappearing for four years, then she'll hit me for losing my arm and then she'll kill me for not being male anymore." He felt Al twitch beside him. "I guess my only consolation is that she's going to kill you too for trying the transmutation and for not telling her about it."

"She wouldn't do that, Brother. It's been four years, she's grown up now and she'd never be that childish anymore." Al spoke quickly in her defence. Ed's ears pricked at a small warmth in Al's voice and his eyes narrowed, then a brief smirk twisted his lips before he said in the most nonchalant voice he could manage.

"I guess you're right Al. And besides maiming your boyfriend's brother is probably illegal somewhere."

"Of course it is, Winry would never…" Al stopped short and turned his head, eyes wide and mouth open. He looked at Ed in total shock. "How did... what did…?"

Ed laughed, he couldn't help it. The look on Al's face was priceless.

"Oh come on Al. I've been expecting this since we were kids. You and her are perfect for each other." Ed smiled broadly. It wasn't often he could win one against his younger brother. "So, is it official yet?" He smirked.

"No! I mean not yet." Al was feeling a bit flustered. He bit his lip. "I didn't want to talk to her until after this…" he waved his hand around them "… you know, just in case something went … wrong."

"I understand, Al, but now it's alright and you can ask her." Ed smiled. "And maybe she won't kill us too much."

Al was silent for a moment then snuck a peek at his brother and _he_ managed to keep _his_ smirk hidden as he spoke carelessly. "Of course, I'm not sure she's going to want to share her clothes with you."

Ed turned to look at Al, his face now frozen in shock.

"Wha…?" Ed couldn't speak.

"After all, you can't wear those clothes for much longer can you, _Sister_."

"Why you little…" Ed started to his feet and felt his face burning as his teeth began grinding noisily together. Al gave a small squeak before he started to laugh.

"My turn," he grinned. "Gotcha!"

* * *

False dawn found them still sitting there together with their coats pulled across them. The pale light of the fading moon made strange shadows out of the burnt timbers and tumbled stones. A faint breeze teased across the grass and caused Ed to shift and sigh.

They had spoken of the years apart sporadically and in soft tones. Ed had been saddened at the passing of Izumi and had held his brother as he spoke of the trauma of waking up in the flesh and going through a form of sensory overload. It had basically shut him down for two months until he had begun to recover and rediscover himself and the world around him. Al had felt the sorrow in Ed as he told of the strange familiars he had found and the friends he had made and lost on the other side and he had been slightly worried about the few words Ed had used to describe the political unrest of that other world. Maybe Ed had been right and it was better that he be on this side of the Gate and not over there. Al had been particularly happy to hear of a counterpart to Maes Hughes on the other side. The brothers had been very upset at his death and to know that somewhere he was still alive – sort of - felt like a balance corrected to Al.

There were still many things to share but they had time. There was no hurry and Ed knew that some stories were just too painful and some were too commonplace to speak of yet. The simple pleasure of being together again was all they needed to know right now.

"What are we going to do, Ed?" Al asked in a whisper. He hadn't thought of what would happen afterwards. He hadn't even known if he would still be here, and all the hoping for success had not really prepared him for it.

"You said you sent your resignation in?" Ed questioned. He had told Al off when his brother had told him that he'd passed the State Alchemy Exam and joined the military a year after Ed's disappearance. The changes in the chains of command within the military had allowed him a degree of freedom that Edward had never had. A new Fuhrer and a more moderate outlook on racial tensions and border expansion had helped rein in the more rabid elements of the military. The then General Mustang had kept an eye on him and tried to help him in his search. Al had refused to take an official title. As he had told the General at the time "It wouldn't be right, Sir. I am not doing this for the people. I'm doing this for me." And Ed. It had been his unspoken thought throughout his whole term of service.

"Yes, last week Brother. When I knew I was going to go through with the array, I thought it best not to still be a part of them." There was another reason too, but not one he was willing to discuss just yet. He was in enough trouble already. Mailing his letter of resignation along with his pocketwatch was probably not the recommended method of resigning but Al had not wanted to face the Brigadier-General. Mustang had an arcane sixth sense for secrets and what Al had been about to attempt was not something he had wanted the older man to know.

"Winry is first," Ed sighed. "Before all else, I have to get my arm done. Then we have to, or at least I will have to go to Central." Ed groaned. "Mustang is going to laugh his head off at this one."

"I'm sure he won't be that bad, Brother." Al soothed. The Brigadier-General was one of the few people who had believed with Al that Edward was not dead. But four years was a long time and Al knew that hope and belief could only be carried for so long. "He's mellowed a bit since back then."

"Yeah right. Sorry Al, but somehow I can't see him cutting me any slack over this." Ed shivered at the smirk and the comments Mustang was sure to bestow upon him.

"Ed…" Al asked after a small pause.

"Hmm, yes?" Ed was still picturing the wide smirk on Mustang's face and replied absently.

"How do you actually feel?"

"What do you mean, Al?" Ed looked at his brother. He could have sworn that he saw a blush on Al's face.

"Umm, being a girl and all, Ed. How do you feel?" He rushed out, feeling embarrassed.

"It doesn't feel real, Al. It's like I'm inside someone else's skin." Ed paused as he tried to find the words to describe it. "I mean, I still think I'm male. I just seem to have lost some parts and gained different ones."

"You do look different though, Ed."

"I do?" Ed looked at Al. "How different?"

"You ummm, you ahhh… you look like a girl." Al said hurriedly.

Ed raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell, Alphonse Elric. This is most interesting." His voice slid through a sarcastic smirk of the 'oh my, really, and I never noticed' kind. Al groaned and stood up. He was dead anyway.

"Right." He said and moved amongst the debris to find a clear spot. He knelt down to quickly draw a circle and activate it. Lights flashed and the ground shook slightly as he pulled the elements together. A long flat rectangular shape formed and slid out of the soil.

Ed walked across to where Al was and looked. Al had transmuted a mirror from the remains of their house. It was not very large but it served its purpose. Ed looked into it and saw… a girl. Wearing mens clothes.

His hair was still golden and pulled back in the tail he had favoured on the other side. But his face was thinner, cheek bones more defined and his eyes wide and large. His lips looked fuller and his jaw had lost its squareness. His neck appeared longer and disappeared into his shirt. His clothes were too big for him. His shoulders were not so broad anymore. Ed raised his hand and ran it across his chest. Oh yes, definitely female. But fortunately not largely so. He shuddered as he recalled some of the images Havoc had once thought to 'educate' him with. He pulled up his trouser leg. Yes definitely a real leg under there. The trousers were a bit longer than they had been but he realised that it was due to the new narrowness of his hips. And a more obvious place felt different too but he wasn't about to explore there with his brother standing right beside him.

His brother was right. He did look like a girl or more correctly, a young woman. After all, he was nineteen now.

"I don't feel like a girl." He said quietly still studying his reflection.

"But you look like one." Al replied just as quietly.

Both of them had the same thought and their eyes met in the mirror.

"No, don't say it Al." Ed said softly. "Not yet anyway."

Al nodded. No, neither of them wanted to consider the possible permanency of this.

"You sound like a girl, Brother." Al said after a small pause. "And you move like one, too."

"How the hell do you know how girls move, Al?" Ed asked him incredulously.

Al blushed. "Umm I watched Winry a lot." His brother openly gaped at him. "Well, it's true, Brother. Girls sway more in the hip area and their arms swing differently because their elbows are hinged for wider angles. Their posture tilts more because of the pelvic placement I think." Al's voice steadied and his blush faded as he went into theory mode. "I wonder if the density of the bones makes a difference. It could explain the balance of their gait when in heels and with the hip angle it would mean that…"

"Alphonse!"

* * *

True dawn dusted the hill in a soft light as they stood in the middle of their old home. One golden and one dark blond head glinted as they lifted their faces towards the sun.

"We should go." The lighter of the two voices now belonged to Ed. He looked at the ruins again and sighed, lifting his hand to his lips and ghosting a kiss to the air.

"This was always home to me, Al. No matter how many times I tried to deny it, to never look back." He laughed softly. "Do you remember what we said? That some memories should never leave traces? This place left more traces than I ever admitted to."

"I know, Brother." Al watched a shadow move as the sun rose higher. "That's why this was the only place to bring you back to."

Al had destroyed the array and collapsed the underground chamber. He had smoothed out the niche in the rubble where they had spent most of the night and collected his suitcase that still held all his notes and had his coat lying loose over his shoulders. Ed watched his brother move around, finally able to see his life's purpose clearly in the colours of dawnlight. He looked out across the familiar valley, feeling that he had indeed returned home when Al came to stand beside him.

"It hasn't changed at all," Ed murmured in an awed tone.

"It's been waiting for you," Al replied.

The sunrise captivated them both for a moment. It hung before their eyes, so bright it almost hurt. Then they turned to each other and smiled. It was time to move forward again.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to all who read the first chapter and to Bar-Ohki and Prozacfairy for reviewing. It helps an author feel appreciated and truly grateful.

silken :)


	3. The People Who Wait

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, Fullmetal Alchemist and the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The People Who Wait **

_The Day Before:_

"Rockbell Automail, how may I help you?" Winry Rockbell picked up the phone and spoke casually trying to adjust a wrench setting one-handed.

"Miss Rockbell? It's Captain Hawkeye calling." A thin calm voice echoed in her ear.

"Miss Hawkeye, how pleasant to hear from you. How's Al doing?" Winry replied with a smile. She liked Captain Hawkeye. The blonde woman had such an air of confidence about her.

"That's why I'm calling, Miss Rockbell." Was that hesitation Winry could hear?

"What's wrong? Is Al alright? Oh please tell me Al is ok!" Winry dropped her wrench and held the phone in both hands. Her eyes were wide and her face fearful. She had nightmares that started like this. A single phone call and life as you knew it changed and not always for the good. In fact never for the good. Winry had received her fair share of those calls from the brothers in past years. But the ones where the military itself called were the worst of all.

"No, Winry, please I'm sorry if I alarmed you." The voice became smoother and stayed calm and even. "We received a … letter from Alphonse and we had some questions for him but we're not sure exactly where he is right now."

Winry took a deep breath and berated herself for over-reacting. Just because Al was the last Elric left did not mean he would emulate his brother in all ways.

"No, I apologise Captain, it's just that Al…" She paused and then spoke again. "We had a letter from him a week ago and he said he was still researching and would be out this way in about a month or so. And he always keeps those promises." Everyone knew that Alphonse took care to keep Winry and the Brigadier-General somewhat informed of his movements. He knew they worried about him so he kept in touch and always appeared when he said he would.

There was a small pause on the line and Winry could hear a muffled voice in the background.

"If you hear from him, could you please get him to contact us, Winry? The Brigadier-General wants to discuss his report with him rather urgently." Winry could hear a frown in the Captain's voice and judged, correctly, that it was focused upon said Brigadier-General.

She giggled and nodded before speaking her assent.

"Of course, Miss Hawkeye."

"Thank you Winry and I'm sorry if I worried you. Take care of yourself. Good-bye."

"It's ok. I know that one day…" Winry stopped abruptly, and then started again. "You too, Miss Hawkeye. Good-bye." Winry hung up the phone and frowned slightly. I wonder what Al has done, they rarely ring here. She shrugged as she picked up her wrench and smiled. She doubted it to be anything major. Al was always so much more careful than Ed had ever been.

* * *

And in Central a blonde Captain and a black haired Brigadier-General frowned over two thin manila folders. One contained a terse report from an obscure State Laboratory and the other held a letter of resignation that was grammatically perfect and perfectly expressionless. A dark eye met those of warm sherry and shared an uneasy look. A gloved finger lightly traced the etching of a pocketwatch that rested on the desk.

"They may not be connected Sir."

* * *

The days always started early in the country and Pinako Rockbell was no different. When the sun got up, so did she. Life was too precious to waste and the mornings were always the most promising part of the day for her. With the wisdom and acceptance of age this was her moment to just _be_ and _feel. _Where there were no expectations set for either herself or for others. Only the sun and the simple appreciation of a new day.

Of course the two figures making their way up the long winding dirt road certainly helped pique her interest in this particular day.

She watched the strangers approaching. Blonde hair shone brightly in the morning light. Barely an hour after dawn, she thought. They must've had an early start. She could see the empty sleeve of the shorter one and understood at once why they were here.

Pinako looked to the taller of the pair and frowned. He walked just like Alphonse did. The hair, that dirty blond colour that sometimes looked more like shadowed gold. It had to be Al. But who was the small golden blonde … it couldn't be Edward. Edward was gone. Dead. Lost. And the blonde was a girl and strangely dressed too. Had Al brought home a girlfriend or just a friend? A girlfriend in need of an arm? Pinako grinned; perhaps this would be the one thing that would finally shake her granddaughter's complacency.

"Granny!"

It was Al. He called and waved to her. She could see his smile from here. She smiled back and lifted her hand in response but her eyes were still wary. Who was the other blonde?

"Long time no see, boyo." Pinako drawled as they closed the gap and slowed at the bottom of the porch steps.

"Sorry, Granny. I've been rather busy." Eyes shied to the ground and then lifted with the brightest smile she had seen on his face.

"Who's your little friend then?"

"Who're you calling a shrimp, you wrinkled old hag?!" The automatic reply was in a higher pitched voice but the oh so familiar glaring golden eyes and furious face rocked her back on her heels. Her face paled alarmingly and Al jumped up the stairs to place a steadying arm around her while Ed rushed forward to grab her hand in his.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry, Granny. I shouldn't have reacted like that I know, but you always do that to me, you know that and we should have said something first I guess, but Al and I we just wanted to get here and see you all…" Ed babbled as he felt her hand shake and then grip his tightly.

"Edward?" Her voice was so hesitant. She leant back into Al but her eyes looked at the face in front of her. Her free hand reached out and lightly touched the golden hair and then skimmed down the side of a thin cheek.

"Yes, it's me." Ed paused as his eyes flicked to Al and then back to hers. "I'm just a bit changed is all."

"A bit?" Pinako whispered disbelievingly. "You're a girl! And you're alive!" She swallowed and then gathered her resilience about her. "I'm not sure which is more incredible." She stood straight and squared her shoulders back, becoming the redoubtable old lady they had known and respected all their lives. She looked from one face to the other and her sigh was almost long-suffering.

"I never thought I'd ever say this but, what have you done, Alphonse?"

Ed tried to stifle the laugh at the back of his throat but ending up choking and then just gave up and laughed as Al looked shamefacedly at the old woman. Ed had been on the receiving end of more than his fair share of Pinako's lectures and it was a refreshing change to see his brother now getting one.

"It was an accident, Granny." Al began in a hesitantly hopeful manner.

* * *

Winry woke to the smell of coffee and the murmur of voices. She considered going back to sleep but knew that any attempt would be short-lived. Voices downstairs meant customers and customers meant automail and she loved automail more than anything.

She kicked off the thin blanket and stretched her way from the bed to the window. Still earlyish judging by the light outside. She changed from one set of overalls into another before slipping into the bathroom and then heading down to the kitchen.

Three people were seated around the table but she only noticed two of them. Winry saw her grandmother and recognised Al straightaway. She rushed in and grabbed him in a wild hug wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Why are you here? Is everything alright? I thought you weren't coming for another month. The Captain rang yesterday looking for you. It's so good to see you." Winry smiled brightly and ignored his red face as she held him in his chair. She knew Al liked her.

"Plans change, Winry. Besides we were close by and…"

"We?" Winry questioned.

"Yes, we," came a soft voice from the other side of the table.

Winry turned her head and met the gaze of two wide golden eyes with the longest lashes she had ever seen. Gold like Ed's, she automatically thought. But that's not Ed, that's a girl! Al brought a girl here?! Winry felt her stomach drop as she straightened up and stared at the stranger.

Golden blonde hair swung in a long tail as the girl looked at Al then back to Winry. Winry was positively gobsmacked. Ed chuckled inwardly as he enjoyed this brief moment of success knowing that any minute now he was going to get struck by at least one heavy wrench, if not by an even dozen.

"Al, who is this?" Winry asked, her voice strangled as an emotion she hadn't known bubbled up inside. Jealousy. She had never felt jealous before. It was like a red wave in front of her eyes. Al was hers, he had always been hers. She had known how Al felt about her and she had been very happy with that and she had accepted it as her right. She and Al were meant to be together. Okay so maybe they'd never actually spoken of their feelings but they both knew it. Didn't they? Didn't _he_?

Ed was watching Winry with great interest. He had never thought that she wouldn't recognise him. He kept waiting for the look of shocked amazement and it never came. The first expression on her face was one he labelled as 'horrified disbelief' and then it went straight into 'incoherent rage'. Ed flinched automatically before he realised that her eyes had fixed on his brother's face. He couldn't help it, he made a _gurgling_ noise as he tried not to laugh and then he shrugged.

Pinako watched as Al stared at Winry totally confused then at Ed when he made that strange sound. Winry looked too and caught sight of the shrug. That did it. That blonde creature was making fun of her and _it was all Al's fault_. She whirled and smacked Al across his cheek and then ran from the room before the tears she could feel at the back of her eyes broke free.

"What was that for?" Al wailed plaintively as he massaged the red mark. Winry's footsteps faded and the front door slammed so hard it shook the house.

"I have no idea. But it was so worth it." Ed's voice echoed his total surprise and amusement while Pinako leant back in her chair and grinned. Winry had been so blindsided with jealousy she hadn't recognised Ed in his new form and had reacted just as her grandmother had hoped. For once Winry was _not_ in control of either herself or the situation around her.

Pinako loved her granddaughter dearly but she had seen a tendency in her lately to treat things as her due, to forget that other people were just as important as she was. Smug complacency was not really that attractive to see and Pinako had been seeing it a bit too often on Winry's face. To see her so angry and out of control…well, it was very gratifying to the old woman.

"You have some fences to mend, boyo." She said with a smile. Al blinked at her as his mind went from shock to whirling at high speed. When it clicked his mouth dropped open and he nearly fainted.

"You can't be serious, Granny?! She thought that… that Ed was... that me and…" Al stuttered to a stop as Pinako nodded her head, her face still beaming with amusement.

Ed caught on quickly and he tried his best to conceal the grin for his brother's sake. They'd fought over Winry as kids and now Ed's sense of the ridiculous caught him up in a vision of himself and Winry fighting over Al. With wrenches. He had a hard time swallowing down the urge to break out in hysterical laughter.

"Go after her, Al and explain it all. The longer you wait, the harder she's going to hit us." Ed waved his hand in a shoo-ing motion and did smile as Al reluctantly stood up. "I'll be fine, go on. Go fix it with her."

Al gave them both a grateful smile and they put their thumbs up in a mutual show of support and encouragement. As soon as he had left the room and they had heard the front door close behind him, they leant back in their chairs and roared with laughter.

* * *

Winry stood by the small stream. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her back straight and tense, daring herself to cry.

How could he? How could he have brought another woman here? This was _her_ house, it was going to be _their_ home one day. He had no right to bring strange women here. Alphonse Elric was a dead man as soon as she regained her self-control. She was going to personally see to it. How dare he do this to her? Al had known her all his life. How could he be so stupid? He was supposed to be a freakin' genius. Just because she hadn't told him how she felt didn't mean he shouldn't know it already. _She_ knew how he felt and _he_ hadn't said anything.

All these years she had supported Al in his belief that Ed was alive somewhere, she had been the one he had come to for comfort and encouragement. She had been the one he had relied on most as he was relearning his senses and the world around him. They had spent months together. She had learnt as much from him as he had from her. She had berated him for joining the military even as she understood why he was doing so. In response to her unspoken fears he had always sent her letters or given her a quick call to let her know how he was and when to expect him.

Seeing Al with _any_ other woman was something Winry had never ever imagined happening. It had to be a mistake, there had to be a sensible logical explanation as to why _her_ Al had come waltzing into _her_ house with another woman. And then there was that woman's resemblance to Ed. Golden eyes, golden hair. Was Al attracted to her because she had Ed's colouring? Winry didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that thought.

Her head ached. She hated losing control like this. Other people lost control, other people could break down and scream and cry but not her. It wasn't the 'done thing'. All her life she had seen people in terrible pain and agony through surgery and rehabilitation and she had learnt very early that she could never break down with them. She had to be strong for them. She knew what they needed so she would demand and push and use her strength to give them strength.

Watching Al regain his senses had taught her not to take things for granted. Seeing him relearning the simple pleasures of touch and taste; the way he would smile with such joy at the slightest whisper of air on his face or the laugh he gave when his lips puckered at the bitterness of the lemon she had tricked him with. How ironic then that she now realised that Al had been the one thing she had _always_ taken for granted. Winry's head fell forward and her shoulders slumped. A single tear broke free and was followed by another. She should have said something to Al a long time ago she thought as her shoulders shook.

And then his arms were around her and his hand was turning her face into his shoulder and she could only shake as silent tears wet his shirt. She wanted to push him away but she couldn't find the strength or the desire within her to do so and Al held her as if he was never going to let her go.

They never knew how long they stood there. When Al whispered her name she looked up at him, her blue eyes watery and vulnerable. Neither was sure who was the first to start the gentle kiss but neither was prepared to be the one to end it.

When they did finally part Winry's eyes had lost their hurt look and Al's were rather dazed. Words hovered between them but Al didn't know how to start and Winry was afraid. It was the shaky grip on his fingers that warned Al that he had to say something or he would jeopardise all he just achieved. After all he was a genius, he had two supporters at the house and Winry had just kissed him. How hard could this be?

"I love you and I brought Ed back." He blurted out and then cringed at the sound of his own triteness. He flinched as Winry stared at him. Shock plastered itself all over her face and her hands twitched in his. He held her fingers tightly, there was no way he was going to let her slap him again.

"Alphonse Elric, you mean that… that… _is Ed_?"

* * *

Still seated at the table Edward and Pinako heard the scream and looked at each other with matching grins.

When Winry came bursting back into the house she grabbed a wrench and she hit Edward with it. Then she screamed at him for disappearing and leaving Al all alone for so long, then she hit him again for losing his arm and then she yelled at Al for turning his brother into a girl. And _then_ she hugged them both.

Edward smiled at his brother. This was home and family as it should be.

* * *

It was after lunch before Winry and Pinako decided to take a closer look at Edward and begin the preparations for his new arm. Most of the morning had been spent talking of the missing years. With Winry distracted by her now 'official' relationship with Al, Ed was spared the intensity of the usual homecoming inquisition and the "you never tell me anything" speech. They asked and he answered. Some things were hard to describe but he managed to give them some idea of what life on that side of the Gate had been like for him. He didn't think they understood _just_ how hard it had been for him to be in that grey place with no alchemy and the shadows of those he had known. And there were some things that he knew he would never tell them. Even Al would never hear the whole truth of what had happened there.

He had tried and he had made true friends, ones that he missed terribly now, but always there had been a quiet loneliness and a fear that he too was nothing more than a shadow. He said nothing of that to them and he kept his voice light as he regaled them with tales of Maes and his clumsy attempts to woo the Gracia of the other side or the time Noa had tried to teach him to pick pockets. He didn't notice the measuring eyes of Pinako on him as she noted the changes and restraint in this new mature Edward.

They in turn updated him on how some things had changed and how some had not. The cessation of the border skirmishes a year ago had helped usher in a time of almost-peace. Demand for automail had increased with the returning soldiers and, whether because of their connections to the Elrics or because their work was just that damned good, the Rockbells had been an offered a contract to supply automail for the soldiers who wanted it. The military still controlled the country but the State Alchemists had been granted a form of autonomy that meant they could do more for the people and not be totally indebted to the State.

Al had kept in touch with the Tringhams and had Ed laughing as he described the mess Russell had been in when one of his transmutations had crossed with one of Fletchers' and he had been encased in fertilizer for two hours. Rose and her son had moved back to Liore and Winry let Ed read a few of her letters and he promised himself that he would visit her. He owed her so much. Dublith too as Winry gave him more information on Izumi's death. They would have talked longer but Edward's stomach rumbled in a most unfeminine manner and lunch was agreed upon.

Ed had just discovered how to cope with the intricacies of female plumbing with his first bathroom visit when Pinako called him to the workroom. His first time of having to use a toilet that way had not been a comfortable one. It had felt unnatural and he had blushed as he cleaned up afterwards. He didn't think he was ever going to get used to that and he welcomed the old familiar automail routine with gladness. Even if it was going to hurt.

The others were waiting for him. Pinako was setting out various instruments on the bench with Al helping. Winry was rapidly sketching a cross section of his future port. Edward slipped his coat off and had undone his first two shirt buttons before Winry yelled at him.

"You can't do that, Ed!"

He blinked at her.

"Why not, Winry? This is the way we always do this. How else can you get at my shoulder?"

"You're a girl now, Ed." Winry explained.

"And so…?" Ed snaked his head from side to side and held his hand up in a drawing out motion. She could see his expression asking "your point would be?"

"You can't undress in front of your brother." Winry could feel her face grow pink.

Ed and Al looked at each other blankly. Neither of them had considered that. This was the first time they had come face to face with Ed's different anatomy. They began to realise that this change of sex was going to affect more things than they had considered. Winry looked from one to the other.

"Oh you two are just hopeless." She grabbed Ed's hand and dragged him from the room. "Come with me. Al, you stay here."

Winry led Ed to her room and pushed him in and closed the door.

"Now you can remove the shirt while I find you something else to wear." Winry opened a few drawers and pulled out a couple of loose tank tops.

Winry turned around to find a topless Ed. Who was examining himself in the mirror. Scars were littered across his skin in fine white lines and the old automail scars had faded to smooth welts. It was the two breasts that had Ed intrigued. It was one thing to know that women had them, it was definitely another to actually see them on your own chest. They were soft as he poked one curiously. They rose with each breath he took and he cupped one finding it fit neatly in his palm. Goosebumps made the nipples harden and his eyes widened as he felt it pull inside.

"Ed?" Winry asked softly. She looked at him. She recognised the focused look on his face. He had found a puzzle and he would and could ignore all else to solve it.

Ed turned and felt his breasts bounce slightly as he did. He had forgotten Winry was there but now he saw her and with his current preoccupation, saw her first and foremost as a conveyor of knowledge.

"Do all breasts feel like this? Why do they tingle when they … err … bumple like this?" He asked, looking from his own to hers. Winry's face became heated and she had to mentally kick herself to remember that Ed was now a girl and that he was a very new one. Of course he was going to have questions and who else could give him some of the answers. Winry took a deep breath and then lost it at his next question.

"Can I see yours? Yours seem bigger than mine. Is size a determining factor in function or is it an aesthetic consideration only?" Ed turned back to the mirror. "It's really strange to see them on me. How is the automail going to affect them? The supporting muscle goes all the way to the collar bone doesn't it?" Ed's fingers were pressing into the soft flesh above his right breast searching for the underlying muscles.

Winry took a few deep breaths and then went to stand by Ed. "Yours are smaller than mine. And yes, all breasts feel much the same. They peak not 'bumple', like that due to temperature changes, excitement and touch. No, size has nothing to do with function. And no, you may not look at mine. They aren't something you show to all and sundry."

"Then why are you looking at mine?" Ed asked reasonably then clutched at the tank top she threw at him.

"Put that on and come downstairs." Winry snapped and hurried from the room, her face still red. Ed laughed softly and slipped the top on before following her.

Al looked curiously between them when Ed appeared and Winry sniffed at him. Ed shrugged and smirked slightly before smiling easily at his brother. Now that Ed was in the tank top it was obvious to all of them that he had become female. Where once had a stood a teenaged boy a bit small for his age, now there was a properly proportioned young woman. Gone were the masculine lines of broad shoulders to strong waist. Now slender shoulders tapered to a slim waist. His neck appeared longer now it was no longer hidden by his collared shirt. His tanned skin had softened to a pale gold. His new chest with its soft curves merely enhanced the overall image. With his hair tailing down his back all he needed was a skirt to be the epitome of womanhood.

And Al, ever the supportive brother, told him so.

Ed did not react favourably and Al was subsequently barred from this and all further preparatory sessions.

* * *

Pinako and Winry spent the rest of the day and all night making and wiring the new port. Every connection, every link was tested and tested again. Smaller and more delicate appearing to match his new physical shape it would still have the strength of the steel it was constructed from. Neither Pinako or Winry were under the assumption that just because Edward was now female that his automail would be treated any more carefully than it ever had been before. The Rockbell name was based on their dedication and care to every piece of automail they designed and installed. Even if Ed had not been the intended recipient, they still would have taken the same care and attention to detail as they were doing. Perhaps because it was for Edward, they spent a few extra hours making doubly sure that this port was absolutely perfect.

Ed and Al waited as patiently as they could. Neither was particularly looking forward to tomorrow. They made coffee and soup for the 'girls' as they worked and then kept themselves occupied at the other end of the house for the rest of the night. They didn't get much sleep and they lay on their beds and spoke occasionally as the long hours passed.

"Have you told Winry you resigned?"

"No. I never told anyone. I just sent the letter in. I didn't know what would happen when…"

"It's ok, Al. You know she's going to be pleased. She's always hated the military." Al could hear the smile in Ed's voice through the dark.

"Will you call Hawkeye back, Al?"

"Not yet." Al sighed. "It'll be about my resignation and Winry already told them I wasn't due here for a month, so they won't be expecting to hear from me yet." And hopefully not about that other matter, he thought.

"They'll want to see you, you know. They're not going to accept that letter without actually seeing you."

Al sighed. "Yeah, I know." I just don't want to leave here yet he didn't say.

"I bet Hawkeye is still keeping Mustang in line." Ed smirked. Al was getting more and more used to the lighter tones of Ed's voice even though his turn of phrase was pure Edward. "I can't believe that bastard's a Brigadier-General now."

But it seemed that morning had come all too soon when the knock at their bedroom door called Ed down for the attachment of his new port.

* * *

Al sat outside the surgery as he had done all those years ago. This time however he knew exactly what was happening behind that closed door. This time his hands were locked so tightly together they had turned white. This time when he heard the heavy clinking of metal and the shaking of the trolleys as Ed's body violently reacted to the stimulus of each connection made he didn't open the door.

And this time, like last time, Edward Elric refused to let one sound of the agony that consumed him escape the confines of his thrashing body. To do so would be to cause his brother hurt on a far greater scale than anything Ed was feeling right now.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you once again to all who have taken the time to read the first two chapters of this. And my thanks and appreciation to Bar-Ohki, Glue Project _(Ed does lecture mode just as well as Al methinks, GP)_, gundanium, Jackalyn _(Roy's not too far away, Jac)_, N. James the Diehard Dishrag, nightflower2008 and Prozacfairy _(knew you were waiting for Winry to meet Ed, PF)_ for reviewing the second chapter. Knowing you are waiting means I will try not to take too long between updates.

silken


	4. Reattachment and Affirmations

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Re-attachment and Affirmations**

Ed opened his eyes and groaned. Damn but he hurt. Not just his shoulder but all over. Tired was his next thought followed by hunger until his stomach turned and he decided that hunger could wait. He knew from experience that his new port would be very painful for the next few weeks before it began to subside into the dull ache that could last anywhere from three to twelve months.

Ignoring the pain he rolled his shoulder and felt the familiar weight of an automail port. Turning his head carefully he tried to see the port but the angles were a bit hard for his head to manage so he gave it up for the moment. Another few days, maybe a week and then he would get the new arm to match the port and he could begin to feel more like himself again. Then…then he would face up to the whole female issue. If he was going to be honest with himself, he felt very unsettled by the whole gender change thing.

Deep down he thought of himself as male. It was hard to keep convincing yourself that when you saw breasts in the mirror and he had no doubt that the other major anatomical change was going to cause even more problems as well. He sighed.

He honestly did not blame Al. He knew Al was still carrying some guilt despite what Ed had told him the other day. That was something to put on his to do list. Sort out Al.

The sunlight was tinted orange through the window so it must be close to sunset he thought. He slowly turned on the bed and propped himself up on his elbow. He gritted his teeth as a wave of sweat broke out across his forehead. He panted gently for a few moments before trying to ease himself up higher. He hadn't forgotten how hurtful automail surgery was exactly, but time had certainly dulled his perception of the pain. He wondered how he had ever survived having two limbs replaced.

"Now you'll be able to compare it to childbirth, Ed."

Pinako's dry voice in the doorway had his head whipping around so fast he felt his whole back twist.

"Ow!" He hissed as his shoulder sent a jab of pain straight through his head and made his eyes water. "Dammit Granny! What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

"As if any comment of mine could lay you so low. You're much stronger than that, Ed." Pinako walked into the room and pushed the pillows behind him so he could relax back and remain upright. "I could ask what you were trying to do by moving around so soon after the surgery."

"You know I don't like staying in bed, Granny. And I need to go to the bathroom." Ed replied his voice trailing off as he realised he was going to have deal with his change again.

"Don't look so down, Ed." Pinako smiled at him. "You'll get used to all these changes and you'll find that they aren't as bad as you think they are."

"You were born like this, I wasn't." Ed groused. Pinako looked at him appraisingly and then nodded to herself. Offering Ed a bedpan would get it thrown back in her face. When he was younger, he had been confined to the bed for two full weeks after the surgery and the bedpan ritual had been his most hated time; this time he had two good legs and he was going to use them. Edward would always start exactly as he meant to go on.

"Wait here for a bit longer and let me make some arrangements." She grinned and disappeared.

True to her word, no more than fifteen minutes later she returned.

"Now. To the bathroom we go." Pinako helped him swing his legs around and place them on the floor without jarring his shoulder too much. He leant against her as he levered himself upwards, her wiry strength keeping him stable.

Sweat trickled down and he could feel his hair stuck to his neck and face. His shoulder throbbed and he pushed the pain away. Slowly, step by unsteady step they made their way from the bedroom to the bathroom. The free standing tub was nearly filled and steam rose from the heated, bubble covered water. Ed looked at it and almost drooled.

"First things first, Ed." Pinako manouevered him to the toilet and left him there after he refused her further help feeling more than a little humiliated. He still had on Winry's tank and his own boxers. They must have removed his trousers at some point after the operation. "Fine but you call me as soon as you're in the water," she commanded as she left the room.

Ed nodded after her. He was never going to get used to sitting down _every_ time he needed to go no matter what the hag said. He finished and began to remove the tank top when he got stuck. The new port caught on the material and he ended up half tangled in the loose stretchy fabric. With only one arm he couldn't pull the material higher without tugging it and when he tried, he could feel the port pulling with it. He gritted his teeth at the stabbing pains that caused. With a reluctant sigh he called and the door opened with such alacrity it was obvious she had been waiting right outside.

"Ahh, let me help you with that. And I've sent Al and Winry out for a while so there'll be no-one to disturb us." Pinako said and reached up to ease the top from the port. Ed sighed as the material came free and twitched his shoulder in relief. Ed was trembling as she tossed the tank top into the wash basket and he gave up all modesty concerns as she tugged his boxers down. Stepping out of them and taking that last step to get into the bath was bringing him close to the limit of his strength. He held her shoulder tight and she supported his weight as he finally got his legs over the edge and literally collapsed into the hot water.

Ed leant back and closed his eyes. The water was hot and his shoulder pulsed in waves of pain. Five minutes passed before he stopped shaking. Pinako knelt behind him and pulled his hair out of its tail and began to wash it. Ed relaxed further into the tub and let the warmth ease itself into his aching and stressed body.

"Your hair is going to make the other women jealous, Ed." Pinako commented as she rinsed the long strands.

"Is that a good thing?" Ed asked his voice lazy and uninterested.

"Yes it is. I think most women are going to envy you Ed. You really lucked out in this change." Pinako twisted the now clean hair up into a loose knot and began to wipe a cloth around the new port, clearing the blood and disinfectant stains from metal and flesh alike.

"I really don't feel like a girl." Ed murmured for what felt like the hundredth time. The tension was seeping out of him with each swipe and his eyes were half closed. His mind was foggy and sleep beckoned. The continual strong pain was making him overly lethargic. He supposed it to be a coping mechanism. He remembered Al always wanting to cuddle up to anything soft if he was hurt.

"Too bad, because you are one." Pinako said with her usual bluntness. "Although to be accurate we should really say you are a young woman. You're too old to be a girl." She smirked. "And for the first time in your life, you're the right height for your age, squirt."

Ed's eyes flew open and he floundered in the water briefly, hissing as his shoulder pushed another spike of pain through him. "That's hardly fair Granny!"

"True but," was her quick retort. She took advantage of his re-awakened state and began to teach him some basic feminine hygiene involving a wash cloth, soap and a razor that had him blushing and horrified and being very thankful for the few bubbles that remained.

"I'll just get you something to wear and you can have some soup and then sleep." Pinako stood up and helped him stand, wrapping a towel around his shoulders and keeping him braced as he stepped out of the tub. Ed began to dry himself off slowly and carefully and was halfway done when she reappeared carrying a sleeveless top and baggy pants over one arm.

"C'mon girl, let's get you settled before the others get back." Ed looked startled at her words but realised the second he opened his mouth that anything he said was going to have no effect whatsoever.

Soon Ed was back in his bed with fresh clothes and fresh sheets and a bowl of hot soup. It was amazing how much better he felt. He slurped quietly as Pinako brushed his hair out.

"You should sleep well tonight, Ed and if all goes well and there is no fever we can try your arm in two days time. I know it's a bit soon after the port attachment but it's better to discover if your changed state will affect the automail now rather than later." She paused. "And then what will you do?"

Ed held the spoon in front of him and sighed making the soup move in waves from one side of the spoon to the other.

"Central, after I get used to the arm again." He looked over his shoulder at her. "After that, I don't know." He paused. "I know Al wants to stay here even though he hasn't said anything yet. But me … I don't know if I can settle down like that after just getting back. There are people I want to see, places I want to revisit."

Pinako looked at him understandingly. Four years had brought changes to them all and Ed needed to reaffirm his place in this world. No. Pinako thought suddenly. Ed needed to _find_ _her_ place in this world. The long golden hair that lay in her hands no longer belonged to the rash, proud, unselfish and headstrong boy she had known. Now it was the hair of a young woman with a whole raft of new challenges to face but who was no doubt still as unselfish and headstrong as her younger self. Maturity lay just below the surface of this new Edward Elric. Pinako had seen flashes of it and wondered if Ed kept it hidden because _she_ thought people wanted the reassurance of seeing the _old _Edward.

"When your arm is attached we'll have to get you some new clothes." She said lightly. Ed had enough to consider, she didn't need more pressure no matter how well intentioned it was.

"You're smaller than Winry, so you'll need new underwear as well."

Ed looked horrified but resigned. He didn't try to hide his reluctance. He was fully aware that he did need some new clothes although Pinako's tone seemed to have the words 'a whole new wardrobe and then some' subliminally implanted in there somehow.

* * *

Edward spent the next day moving from his bed to the bathroom and back again. Pinako wouldn't let him come downstairs and insisted on his staying in bed even for meals. Ed could see the sense in her commands so he obeyed her even as he complained and cursed her. It was a game the two of them enjoyed immensely.

Al came and sat with him and Ed could see he was under orders 'not to distress the patient' so their talk was of lighter subjects or rather Ed had to listen to Al talk about how wonderful Winry was. Apparently their little excursion last night had let them both finally express themselves more fully than they had two days ago. When Al started to repeat himself for the third time Ed sent him out to find the object of his desires and then sank back into his pillows with a relieved smile.

Ed looked around the room. Now Al was gone there was nothing to occupy himself with. He had slept the morning away and although he was still tired, the pain was now a distraction that wouldn't let him go back to sleep again. What he wouldn't give for a book right now. His eyes caught on Al's suitcase and he grinned. He remembered it containing papers and books. Moving carefully he slipped out of bed and returned with the case. Settling it on his knees he opened it and his eyes widened at the wealth inside. Not only books but notes and journals. Oh yes this would be more than enough to keep him happy.

Ed had always known that his brother was gifted in alchemical theory but he hadn't realised just _how_ brilliant he actually was. Al's notes were absolute masterpieces; they lifted the workings of alchemical process into the realm of pure mathematical magic and scientific genius. Even the theories Al had not finished were stunning. Ed became completely absorbed in his reading. Al had almost rewritten the whole basis of alchemy with his research. Ed was totally awestruck.

When Pinako came in with his dinner she had to shake him – very gently of course - by the port to make him aware of her presence.

* * *

Ed held his breath and gritted his teeth as the loud click echoed in his ears and his arm was locked into position. He shuddered as his nerves burnt like strands of fire through his shoulder and down his spine. Heat and pain flared behind his eyes and he grunted through a clenched jaw, the only sound he would allow himself to make. His flesh hand gripped tightly at the arm of the chair he was in and his feet were braced against the floor.

"She's fine Al," he heard Winry reassure his brother and he grimaced through another wave of pain. They were all starting to do it. He was becoming 'she' and he didn't know if he liked it. He still couldn't bring himself to do it.

He forced himself to take long slow breaths, refusing the urge to flex his fingers until the initial shock of connection had lessened. Then he turned his head to watch as he twitched and saw his fingers move one after the other. They were slender and almost delicate. Slowly he lifted his arm, wincing as the weight pulled at the port and saw the gleaming silver lines of the automail. It looked so different to his old one. He had never realised just how beautiful automail could be until now. He had always appreciated Winry's work and had known that her automail was the best he could ever have had. His arm and leg had never let him down, well except for that one time which they never spoke of. The quality of Winry's workmanship had saved his life more times than he could recall.

But this arm was slim and elegant. This arm was complete and seamless. They had placed the plates in such a manner as to minimise the joins and the smooth finish was perfection itself. It looked as if they had literally remade his flesh arm in living metal. He raised both hands and looked at them. Long slender fingers of flesh and steel. He stretched his arms out and marvelled at how alike they were. When he placed his palms together they were perfectly aligned. One steel, one flesh – whole. His eyes were wide in appreciation and awe at their craftsmanship and he couldn't find any words as he looked at them both standing there.

"It's alright, Ed," Pinako said, her voice uncharacteristically soft for once. "We know."

The pesky feeling of tears at the back of his eyes made him blink hard but his efforts were wasted when Winry and Pinako both put their arms around him and the tears slipped down his cheeks. When Al joined in the hug Ed couldn't help but let out a muffled sob as the tears kept coming and he was able to hold them all in his arms at last.

* * *

Any gratitude he felt disappeared the next day when Winry slammed into his room and threw an even dozen's worth of bags on his bed and said "Try these on. Now."

He looked at the bags and then at her and said "Why."

She hit him with her wrench.

Ed started changing.

Three hours later and it had been determined that she was now a size 12 in most things, that her cup size was 'B', that strong vibrant colours suited her best and that pastels were to be avoided. T-shirts and tank tops were acceptable but shorts were put on the 'maybe later' list. Ed discovered that jeans were his new best friend and that buttons on girls' shirts were on the wrong side. Dresses were met with approval from Winry and Pinako although the expression on Al's face rather scared him. Ed decided that dresses had to be the most disconcerting article of clothing there was. Unlike the comforting confines of jeans and trousers, dresses made him feel like he had an empty space beneath him. It was most unsettling. That was when boy-leg underwear became his second best friend and his bra the third even if it was the most hellish thing to do up.

Pinako was the one to introduce him to the inner workings of the bra after he got tangled in it for the third time. Winry had refused to help further and stalked from the room. Pinako and Ed had shared a look and a one-sided shrug before Pinako had closed the door and begun to explain the straps and hooks to Ed. Because of the new port and the inability of his fingers to work the small hooks together behind his back he could not put it on the normal way. So Pinako showed him how to latch the hooks with the bra on backwards before turning it around and then to slip his arms through the straps. It took him ten minutes. Pinako assured him that by the time his port didn't hurt and his fingers had regained their dexterity he would be much quicker and possibly even able to put it on with the usual method.

Ed had never thought that this one article of clothing could cause him more trouble than any of the others. His eyebrow had risen fractionally at the lace edging of the royal-blue fabric. Pinako had smiled knowingly as she loosened the right strap to ease the pressure it was putting on the automail port.

"Ed, a girl always has some lace on her lingerie." Pinako offered the advice with a sly smile. "It's amazing what a scrap of lace and silk can do for a woman's confidence. Especially when she's the only one who knows its there."

Ed's eyes opened wide as Pinako continued "There's a wider choice in Central. You should go shopping while you're there and have a good look around. Hopefully we have given you enough of a start for you to be able to formulate your own style. Because only you Ed, will ever truly know what feels right for you." Then she winked as she left the room. "Just don't forget the lace."

Ed finally reappeared wearing the new jeans, a t-shirt and a long sleeved over-shirt. His hands and feet were bare and gloves and shoes had been placed on the next order. Although he was comfortable with his automail here, he didn't like exposing it everywhere he went so most of his clothes had long sleeves or could be layered to conceal his arm. Hiding his arm was something he was very familiar with, but when Winry grabbed him and sat him down in front of a mirror he discovered a whole new facet to the word concealment.

Little boxes and tubes littered the table in front of him. Tiny palettes of colours and small brushes were scattered in some arcane pattern he couldn't discern.

"It's make-up, Ed. It highlights and emphasizes your features and hides imperfections." Winry said brightly as she looked at him in the mirror. Golden eyes went very wide and his face paled abruptly. Winry thought he might faint.

"No." His voice was flat. His face went as blank and expressionless as his voice. This was the last straw. He thought he had been more than obliging during the last few hours but now he was exhausted. He wanted to go to bed, his shoulder was killing him and he had had enough of 'girl-Ed' to last him the rest of the week. There was an almost evil glint in Winry's eye as she gestured at the table and he was not about to give in to Winry's little torture-fest.

"Ed." Winry pulled out her wrench.

He merely looked at her and repeated "No."

"But you have to Ed. All girls need to know…"

"This one doesn't, Winry." Ed's tone was determined. "Clothes I can understand and accept and my hair, even I can see the need for learning different styles for that, but makeup… no."

"But what if you get dressed up…"

"No. Winry, I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I realise that you and Granny are being really helpful about this whole situation and I am very thankful but I'm just not ready for this yet." And never will be he added silently.

Pinako and Al watched from the other side of the room. Pinako smiled. Here was the mature Ed she had seen the other day. One who faced the world with an honesty and a self-determination that nothing could deny. Ed was still feeling her way through this, her new world order – and she was going to do it on her own terms and no-one else's. Winry was not going to win this one, she just didn't know it yet.

Al was having a different problem. It had started the very moment he had seen Ed in that first dress. Ever since Ed's return, Al had known of the gender change. He had seen the differences in Ed's gait and form and heard it every time in his voice. But that dress. Thin straps to a draping neckline had revealed a long elegant line to Ed's neck and throat, slim shoulders had tapered to an even slimmer waist and the material had flared over slender hips to fall against two very shapely legs. With the waist length golden hair and the fine delicate facial features - that was the moment of Al's epiphany. That was the moment theory and cerebral understanding transmuted into emotional recognition and attachment. Ed was a _girl_, Ed was his _brother_. _Brother became Sister_.

"I have a sister." He murmured the same words he had used that first night but this time it was one of acceptance, of acknowledgement. He walked across the room straight through the continuing argument and put his arms around _her_, _his sister_.

"Sister" was all he said as he hugged her close. Ed looked rather startled but he heard the unspoken thoughts in Al's voice. They had always been able to convey so much to each other with very few words and this was no exception. Al said 'Sister' but Ed heard a fading echo of 'Brother' and understood all the meanings behind it.

He wrapped his arms around Al and replied simply "Yes."

* * *

Ed was kept in his room for the next three days. Pinako would allow him to come down stairs for meals but the rest of the time he was confined to bed. He spent the time sleeping, reading Al's notes and doing his therapy.

Winry got around his refusal to have anything to do with makeup by teaching him how to style his hair. Then she and Pinako decided that braiding his hair would be good therapy for him, especially French braiding. Ed would sit in front of the mirror and try to get the strands collected in even segments while his shoulders ached and his hair got caught in the finger joints. It took him two days to successfully complete his first – crooked - full French braid. And he was still pulling strands of hair out of his fingers half an hour later. When Pinako took the braid out and made him do it again the walls shook with the screams.

Al's notes were the best pain relief he could have found. While his nerves adjusted and continued to graft themselves further into the port inserts with their consistent burning and twitching, he could escape the pain by reading. By the time he had sped-read his way through half of the loose notes he had stopped and gone right back to the beginning again, this time slowing down to appreciate and acknowledge every single word. He found himself methodically categorising each page as he finished it and small piles were building up on the desk in the corner of the room.

Every night before sleep, Ed would talk to Al about what he had read and they would discuss alchemy like they used to many years ago. But this time there was no urgency in their discussions. No more 'find the answer or else' pressures, this was two highly intelligent young people talking about a subject that was more than a passion for both of them.

They stayed away from discussing the array Al had used. Both realised they weren't ready to face that yet. But there was still plenty to keep them occupied. Ed was reluctant to attempt any alchemy until his nerve connections had stabilised further. He had done alchemy before when his ports had been damaged and that was not an experience he wished to repeat any time soon.

Pinako limited their talk time to two hours and threatened them with separate rooms after the first night when she found them trying to draw circles at three in the morning. Drawing circles with his new arm then became another form of therapy for Ed.

Drawing the circles helped him more than he wanted to admit. It was another way to confirm that he really was back where he belonged.

* * *

Ed had been back for just over a week. He lay in his bed early one morning and sighed. He felt tired and irritable. His shoulder hurt and his head ached slightly. He could hear Al snoring from the other side of the room and was tempted to smother him with a pillow. His stomach grumbled but he didn't feel hungry. He rolled his shoulder and felt it twinge and wondered if he was on the verge of a fever. He really didn't feel right today.

Maybe he had been pushing himself too hard. After all he'd only had the new arm for five days and the port for two more. He had been using his arm at every chance he could, he had refused to miss any of his therapy. Braiding and circles had helped his dexterity immensely and the light weight lifting had begun to re-strengthen the muscles around his port. He worked hard despite the pain. His shoulder was starting to respond, he could feel it. There had been one moment yesterday when he had suddenly felt it click inside him and he had been overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity. This was how it was supposed to feel. He set himself a goal. Another three weeks and he was going to be able to do alchemy again. By that time his nerves should be almost totally integrated with the port and the likelihood of a painful backlash greatly reduced.

Slipping from the bed in his t-shirt and sleep pants he grabbed some fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom. He checked in the mirror but he didn't seem to be flushed or red and his skin felt cool to the touch. He was getting used to seeing his face as it actually was now rather than mentally superimposing his old visage over it. He untied his hair from the knot he kept it in for sleeping and shook it free. It was down past his waist now when it hung loose and he bit his lip at the thought of maybe getting it trimmed… just a little bit.

Ed stood under the hot water and let it flow over him. He still didn't feel well but he didn't want to worry anyone, especially Al. Something was bothering Al and Ed had no idea what it was. Last night during their usual alchemy-time Ed had gotten the feeling that Al was hiding something from him. They had been discussing alchemical formulae for the manipulation of silicate bases when Ed had felt Al withdraw slightly. They had always been sensitive to each other but age had brought a measure of tact to Ed so he had said nothing and let Al lead the conversation into a different area. But he couldn't see what could've made Al uneasy; after all they had discussed much more controversial and certainly illegal subjects when they were younger.

He frowned as he watched condensation slide down the shower tiles before turning the taps off and stepping out of the shower. He felt irritable again as he towelled himself dry. He was getting more used to his new body too. He didn't jump every time he saw it in the mirror anymore although he would avoid looking unless he absolutely had to.

His new body was somewhat less of a mystery to him now. A few days ago he had stood in front of the mirror and studied his naked body. He had catalogued each change. From the longer line of his neck to the slimmer arm and legs. Muscle definition had disappeared and been hidden under smoother softer planes of flesh. His skin had become a pale gold all over. The slender lines of his body gave an impression of contained elegance. The breasts still intrigued him. The automail port lay just above the swell of the right one. Winry and Pinako had contoured the port so as to avoid causing a misalignment between his breasts. His belly was flat and flared into his slender hips. The golden tangle of pubic curls was softer than he remembered as well there being the matter of a missing member. His first reaction had been one of horror. Moreso than the breasts that he now had, seeing that he no longer had the ultimate symbol of masculinity totally unnerved him. This was the one aspect of the whole change that seemed the most unnatural to him.

But all things considered, Pinako was right. He had indeed lucked out in this change. He didn't see himself as particularly attractive or beautiful but at least he could go out without being totally embarrassed. He was proportional and he had to admit, he was rather pleased with his legs now. Being able to walk barefoot again, and to hear two proper normal footsteps and not one clanking metallic one was wonderful to him. Al had done brilliantly and Ed was going to make sure Al knew that. When he saw Al next, it would be the first thing he was going to do.

He walked back to their bedroom and found Al had obviously woken up and gone downstairs for breakfast. He'd made his bed but had left Ed's as it was. He could've made mine, Ed thought irritably, forgetting that _he_ was supposed to make his own bed as part of his therapy, as he left the room and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you once again to all who have read and reviewed the previous chapters and who are hopefully still enjoying my story - slow building though it is. And the chapters are getting longer.

And as always, thank you to the ones who reviewed Chapter 3 - Bar-Ohki _(don't worry, Ed's going to find out ALL about them …lol)_, catwwomen47_(their meeting is going to be...fun...lol)_, Glue Project _(Ed will always tease Winry, I think its genetic...lol)_, hiya24_ (glad you enjoyed)_, Jackalyn _(Roy's got a bad feeling, it makes him worry)_, N James The Diehard Dishrag _(of course I'll mention you, you reviewed...lol... but yes, knowing that someone reads and takes the time to review makes it all worthwhile),_ Prozacfairy _(Roy is going to get a bit of a shock when he meets Ed...lol), _RemyofAkyre _(more is coming...lol)_. It is always much appreciated by me.

silken


	5. Puberty and Purpose

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Puberty and Purpose**

Ed entered the kitchen and found Al and Winry laughing softly at some shared joke. Ed instantly felt angry and frowned at himself. He stomped over to the teapot and began to pour some into a cup.

"The coffee's over here, Ed." Winry called as she indicated the larger coffeepot on the table.

"If I'd wanted coffee, I would've gotten it, Winry." He growled at her as he added two spoonfuls of sugar to his black tea. He swiped a slice of toast from the table but two bites had him tossing it into the bin. He craved something sweeter so he grabbed the jam and slathered it thickly over another slice of toast.

"You can't just waste food like that Ed." Winry told him. "And you need something more than just toast."

"I'm fine with this." Ed replied coldly, inwardly battling a rising tide of irrational anger.

"Don't be silly, Ed. There's plenty here and…"

"I don't want any." Ed interrupted her. He finished the toast and took a large mouthful of the tea.

"I'll make something else for you then," she said, smiling as she got up from the table and approached him.

"Forget it, Winry. I'm not interested." Ed snapped at her. Why can't she just leave me alone he thought.

"Are you ok, Ed?" Winry asked and she grinned as pulled out the wrench from her pocket. "Don't worry, we'll soon fix it." She chirped at him, trying to lift his mood.

Ed felt his whole body twitch and he reached over and snatched the wrench from her hand. They stared at each other for a long moment, Ed's eyes burning with the increasing irritation he felt.

He tossed the wrench on the table and said "If you wave that at me one more time Winry, I will shove it so far up your …"

"Sister!" came the scandalised shout of his brother.

Ed looked at Al and wondered why his brother didn't automatically know what was wrong with him before turning and leaving the kitchen. Al and Winry gaped at each other while Pinako looked puzzled.

* * *

As the day progressed he got worse. He couldn't even concentrate on his reading. He isolated himself in his room and then blamed them all for leaving him alone. Al came up and tried to smooth things over and was turned away with "fuck off Al, it's not your fault she's a bitch." He couldn't sit still and shifted from place to place. He had two more hot showers and more jam toast for lunch. His shoulder hurt and his head felt muzzy and his lower back began to ache. When his lower back pain decided to migrate into his lower belly and tie his intestines into knots he found himself chewing on his metal fingers. Ed was ready to fight with his shadow and he would have welcomed it. When Al refused to return to their room and told Ed he was sleeping downstairs until "you're ready to apologise, Sister" Ed snarled at him and crawled back under his blankets and rocked to the pulsing knots in his stomach.

Finally, after everyone had gone to bed he went and stood under the shower again. His hands pressed against the tiles and his head hung down. Today had been such a pig of a day and he knew it was his fault but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't remember ever being this emotionally unstable. He couldn't remember ever feeling this out of sorts with his body. His eyes watered up before he even realised he was going to cry. He slammed his hands into the wall and heard the tiles crack as his shoulder protested. He lowered his head further, placing it directly under the water and let his tears mingle with the hot water. Dammit … he wanted to stop crying … he wanted chocolate.

The sight of blood didn't register at first. Ed had seen enough of it either splattered around him or coming from him to be unfazed by this thin red line on the tiles below him. He automatically turned his head to look at his throbbing shoulder thinking it the most obvious place before he realised that the blood wasn't coming from his arm but from his leg.

He stood frozen in place. His eyes followed the blood trail, backtracking visually up his legs to the place between. He almost hoped the blood came from above that point but it didn't and his knees almost gave way. Deep breaths, Ed, deep breaths he told himself. This is not the time to panic Ed, you know the drill, you've done this before, you have to stop the bleeding and you need something to apply pressure with. Ed looked wildly around the bathroom and lurched from the shower recess to grab a handful of toilet paper and balled it in his hand before pressing it between his legs. He waited a few moments and then tentatively pulled the paper away. It was wet with water and blood so he replaced it with more paper. He tried to keep his breathing slow and even but he could feel his pulse racing and his hands were shaking.

This was not good, this could not be good his mind chanted. Awkwardly he waddled to turn the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist automatically before he realised and re-wrapped it under his arms. He needed to get help but not Al, not for this. Winry… oh gods no, not that…her. Granny. He had to go to Granny, she'd know what to do.

Keeping his thighs pressed together and the toilet paper held securely, he quickly dried himself. Throwing his sleep shirt on and wrapping the towel around his waist now, he opened the bathroom door as quietly as he could. He didn't want to see anyone but Pinako. As quickly as he could he walked awkwardly down the passage. Thank you Al for these two perfect legs, he thought as he heard no loud clanking, and knocked softly at her door with his flesh hand.

He twitched and shivered, moving his weight restlessly from one foot to the next as he waited. He was about to knock again when it opened and a thin sliver of light hit his wide frightened eyes.

She pulled him into her room without a word and closed the door behind him. Ed just looked at her, shaking and trembling in his distress. She took his flesh hand and led him to a chair but he shook his head, wet hair dripping.

"I'm bleeding" was all he said in a small voice and she instantly understood.

"You've got a towel around you, Ed. It will be alright. Just sit down." She gently forced him to sit even as he shook his head again. He clenched his hands together making his shoulder hurt but welcoming the distracting pain. He sat quietly as Pinako pulled out a spare blanket and slipped it around his shoulders and he waited as requested while she left the room and returned ten minutes later with hot chocolate, his clothes, another towel and a small bag.

Ed sipped at the hot drink gratefully. This 'sit back and relax with hot chocolate while bleeding to death' was a far cry from his normal experiences of emergency wards and self-applied field dressings. It was even stranger to know that you were bleeding and not even feel it. Pinako sat on the other chair and sipped at her drink and smiled at him.

"Feeling better now?" She could see the colour returning to Ed's face and his hands were not trembling as much anymore. Ed still had those wide eyes and Pinako could see him trying to bring the distress under control with slow breaths and forcing his tensed shoulders to relax.

Pinako had given this talk before and it was a bitter-sweet memory. Winry should have shared that moment with her mother not her grandmother and both had shed tears and regrets. Pinako had found herself telling Winry stories about her mother and the step from child to woman had become one of Winry's most precious moments simply because she had learnt more about her mother than ever before.

This time the talk was very different. Girls knew what to expect before anything even happened but Ed knew absolutely nothing. There was no preparation or warning. Not only that but he had had very little exposure to girls so the information they seemed to inherently know had slipped right by him. Pinako began at the beginning.

"You're bleeding Ed because this is the start of your menstrual cycle." Ed looked at her blankly.

Okay, so it had to be more basic than that. Or maybe, given Ed's background…

"Ed, you studied the human body, didn't you?" They both understood the reference to the transmutation attempt and she received a nod in reply.

"You know what makes up a body. Now the human body is controlled by many different systems, and all these systems are driven by catalysts that activate and manipulate them. Some of these include enzymes, proteins and more importantly, hormones." Ed kept nodding, he could understand this. "A menstrual cycle begins when certain hormones change their balance and after a short time they will rebalance again and the bleeding will stop."

"So… this is temporary?" Ed asked shakily. Science had come to his rescue and he felt more reassured.

"Yes, until next month when it all happens again." Pinako choked on the horrified look Ed gave her. "It's a cycle Ed."

"It happens again?!"

"Every month, Ed. All women go through this."

"How? Why?" Ed was looking very unsettled now. This was more than he had bargained for.

"It's what we women do Ed. If we didn't then there would be no new life. This cycle prepares every woman for pregnancy and the bleeding is a sign that you are not pregnant. You do know about sex don't you Ed?" Pinako asked with a raised eyebrow and got a red face nodding in reply. She smiled at that and continued. "From a female perspective, sex can result in pregnancy which is why protection is so important. This is all part of the human reproductive system Ed."

Pinako paused. She put down her empty cup and picked up the other towel and began to dry his hair. She let him digest what she had told him so far and waited for him to ask questions. She knew Ed. Once he was over the embarrassment of this new situation he was going to want every piece of information he could get. Drying his hair eased him further. Pinako hid a smile. This new Ed was much more tactilely responsive than the old one.

"How do you… how do_ I_ cope with this every month?" Ed swallowed hard.

"You've been irritable and bitchy all day Ed. That's called pre-menstrual tension and it's a sure-fire sign your period is about to start. Not all months will have you as tense as you were today. Everyone is different and each month is different too. Some months you may bleed heavily and others will be light. Tell me, how do you feel now? Physically."

Ed thought for a moment, sorting through the impressions he was getting from his body.

"I'm tired, my shoulder hurts and I have a headache. My lower back aches a bit but not as much as earlier. My stomach feels empty and there's like a pressure gone from inside here although it still feels really tight." He placed his hands on either side of his hips and curled his fingers into his lower belly region. "I don't feel as irritable as I was earlier, but I still feel out of sorts with everything."

"You should keep track with a calendar at first Ed but soon you'll know the signs. We all do eventually." Pinako smiled at him. She could see the reluctant acceptance of this new facet to being female in those golden eyes but knew Ed would take as long as it took before he openly admitted it to himself. Some things would never change.

Pinako pulled Ed's hair back into its loose knot and went over to fetch the small bag she had brought in earlier. She sat down in front of Ed and handed him the bag. Ed took it as if receiving a spitting cobra and had to take a deep breath before opening it.

Baffled eyes looked up after his first glance at the contents but then comprehension flooded the pale face with a bright blush. Ed had never seen these things before but he wasn't stupid. He knew what he was looking at as his hand tentatively reached in and removed a small pad.

"Yes, these are the other things you'll need to cope with this time of the month." Pinako said bluntly in the matter of fact tone that she knew Ed would respond best to. "It would probably be easier for you to use a pad this first time until you feel more comfortable with the process. Let me show you." Pinako rummaged through the clothes for a pair of the boylegs Ed now favoured and then reached for the pad in Ed's hands. She demonstrated its use and then took another pad from the bag and made Ed do it. It was a bit awkward with the automail hand but Ed managed it and he actually smiled at his success. The blush came back in full force when he had to remove the towel and paper he had used and slip the now padded underwear on.

Once he had his sleep pants on, Ed felt better although he twisted around very aware of the padding and absolutely convinced that it could be seen through his pants.

"Stop that Ed. No-one will know it's there. Now when you get up tomorrow morning you'll need to change that one and dispose of it. We have plenty of them so don't be shy asking for more. This could last anywhere up to seven days." She chuckled at Ed's groan. "If you feel any cramping or pain let me know. There are ways to lessen the discomfort. Also I have some textbooks left from my son and daughter-in-law. They'll give you much more detailed information."

Ed surprised Pinako when he wrapped his arms around the older woman and buried his face into the strong shoulder.

"Thank you Granny" was all Ed could manage before his throat closed up on another bout of tears.

* * *

The books Pinako lent him did indeed give him all the information he desired. The physical and the hormonal changes had him mesmerised. He had never realised the intricacies in the systems that governed development of both males and females. Creating a body was something he understood. Creating life was something he had tried and failed. Natural conception and development enthralled him. With his obsession to break everything down to equivalent exchange, he at first saw the monthly cycle as the exchange for the ability to conceive new life. But then he realised that men had just as much input in conception as women did. Perhaps the cycle was the offset for the ability to _carry_ new life he theorised.

It took Ed three days to finally feel normal again. Even though he was still bleeding his emotional rollercoaster seemed to have stopped. He spent those three days in his room trying to read every medical text Pinako had. He had the cramps again the next day and Pinako helped ease them with a heated pack and he suffered a headache when she cuffed him after she discovered he'd cracked the bathroom tiles that night.

When Ed got up the nerve to explain his predicament and behaviour to Al, his brother had screwed his face up and bolted from the room. A blushing Winry had followed him out and Pinako had just laughed.

"Don't worry Ed. When Al and Winry finally settle down he'll find out more than he's ever going to want to know about it."

Then she chased Al down and made them both fix the broken tiles.

* * *

Al was hesitant at moving back into their bedroom but Ed assured him that the mood swings were gone now and besides he missed having his brother close by.

Four years apart had changed them both. Al had become more independent and Ed had become more restrained. Their first week back had seen them overwhelmed with being back together but now they were adjusting to the changes in each other. They had both grown up. They were no longer the inseparable pair they once were. Al was growing closer to Winry and he was sharing thoughts and feelings with her that he just could not do with Edward. And Ed was finding Granny Pinako to be his greatest support. The physical changes to his body, the maturity and self control he had developed over his four years of unintended exile now made him unable to communicate as easily with Al as he used to do.

The love between them was something they could never, would never doubt. They were now trying to see each other as their own person. They were learning to adjust, to find a renewal of their closeness but on a different level. It was the one part of their emotional development that they had missed out on during the years of separation and it was being condensed into three weeks.

"Will you come to Central with me, Al?" Ed asked that night as they lay in their beds.

Al was silent. His sister's voice was light and casual but Al heard the desire in it for his company.

"I don't know, Ed." Al was always honest with Ed. "There's Winry here and I resigned. I just don't know" He repeated. "I have another week, two at the most, before they're expecting me to call."

"Pinako won't clear me to travel for another two weeks anyway. I'm not asking for a decision now, Al." Ed turned and Al watched as she leant on her elbow and looked across at him. "I would like you to come with me but I can understand if you don't want to." Ed was equally honest in return and Al knew that Ed would indeed understand even if she wouldn't be too happy about it.

Al paused before going on. "Winry and I haven't really discussed the future. I know she wants me to stay here…"

"And that you want to stay here too." Ed interjected. Al looked at her in surprise. "I'm not blind Al, I know you want to stay and I don't blame you for it." It was Ed's turn to pause. "I just can't settle yet Al. It's too soon after being away. I need to see them again. I need to see the places we used to go to, the people we, I used to know."

Ed had always enjoyed the travelling around so it was no surprise to Al that she'd want to keep doing it. And yes, there were people who would want to know that Ed was back and alive. He was honest enough with himself to realise that he wouldn't mind seeing the reactions to Ed's return. Ed might want to leave to play 'catch up' with people and places but Al knew his sister well enough to also know that she would never be content to settle back here afterwards. If she settled anywhere it would be Central or even Eastern where they had spent much of their youth.

"You will never settle here." Acknowledgement and acceptance coloured the simple words as Al spoke his thoughts.

"No. But I will always come back. Because you will be here." And there was nothing but simple honesty in Ed's reply.

"Things are changing for us both now, big changes. I've just gotten you back and soon we'll be apart again." Al whispered.

"You are never going to be free of me, Alphonse Elric. You are my brother, you will always be my brother. Life only goes one way, remember. Change is a part of the cycle just as much as birth and death." Ed paused.

"And you do still know how to write letters and use a phone don't you?"

* * *

"Am I dead, Al?" Ed asked one night a week later.

"What? What do you mean, Sister?" Al sat up and looked across at Ed in shock.

"Am I dead? Did they declare me dead or just missing?" Ed grinned at his reaction and Al saw the white teeth flash as he groaned and fell back into his pillows.

"You're dead, Ed. There's a statue of you in one of the courtyards at Central. The one in front of the mess hall." Al said with solemn honesty.

"You're joking. They'd never do that." Ed looked affronted.

"They did." Al nodded in affirmation. "I'll show it to you." And just like that he knew he would accompany Ed to Central. If nothing else he owed it to the Brigadier-General and to Ed. It would be the one thing that would give him closure on his efforts of the last four years.

* * *

Edward Elric stared out the window. The sun caught in his hair and with his eyes half closed against the afternoon light he seemed totally unaware of the argument between Al and Winry.

"You resigned?! And you never told me?" Winry's voice was rather shrill in her outrage.

"I thought you'd be happy, Winry." Al protested.

"Of course I'm happy, Al but that's not the point! You could have discussed it with me Al. It's a big decision, why didn't you talk to me about it?" Winry was upset, to put it mildly, at being left out of Al's decision making process.

"Because I didn't know what would happen, Winry." Al's voice dropped a tone and his eyes flickered from her to Ed and back.

Winry drew in a breath and looked Al straight in the eyes. "And you should have told me about that too! All this time Al, I thought you trusted me. It's the same old story. You never tell me anything!"

"Because we don't want to hurt you." Ed's voice was soft and almost disinterested as his eyes stayed focused on something outside. Winry and Al turned to look at him.

"After that… Dad left, all we had was Mamma. We did all we could to make her happy. Learning alchemy, doing chores, anything to try and fill the huge hole in her heart that he caused. We know what happens to those left behind, Winry. They suffer. They cry late at night when they think you're asleep. She cried … for him, for us, for herself." The room had fallen silent.

"And then she left us. And we wanted her back, we wanted to fill the empty spaces she left in us. So that we wouldn't cry. When we did what we did … it was selfish and stupid and we failed. Everything … lost." Al lowered his head and looked at the floor as Ed's voice softened further.

"We paid … a terrible price for our sin. You know what our punishment was. You and Granny were the ones who got me … who got us back on our feet." Ed paused for a silent breath. "That one moment of idiocy changed everything. I learnt that I can never, ever take people for granted because in one moment they could be gone."

Pinako watched as Ed spoke, the words coming fluently but hard to hear. Winry had sunk into her chair, her eyes fixed on Ed and her hands gripping together.

"We were children. We were supposed to trust and rely on others for our needs. But the one who meant the most to us was gone. And after that we could only trust ourselves. Every one else would leave us someday. It was our mistake, it was my fault and only we could fix it because we were the only ones we could rely on."

Ed raised his hand and absentmindedly ran his finger over the window in the shape of an array. His voice remained even and soft as if he was not in the process of baring his soul to the room.

"We couldn't trust the military. They would have taken Al apart had they known. I was valuable only because of my alchemy. We used them and Mustang used us. It was a way to achieve our goal. It was the only way. To be in the grip of a terrible purpose means sacrifice, not just for yourself but for the others around you as well."

Al lifted his head and gazed at his sister. Tears hung on his lashes and his grey eyes were filled with an old sorrow.

"By not telling you or anyone what we were doing we could keep you safe. People died because of us, because of what we were doing. We know it made you and the others worry. But if we had told you … we would have been responsible for your deaths. It was cowardly of us, but we were selfish, we were children, we had _more important_ things to do. We didn't want the extra responsibility."

Winry made a choked sound. Pinako's eyes darkened. Neither had heard Ed speak so openly before.

"When we knew the terrible secrets of the Stone, still we went on. We had to. Trying to find another way, not wanting to hurt any more people than we already had. And people still died." Al slowly stood up and went to stand behind Ed. The tears dropped from his eyes but Ed's were dry.

"When we ran out of choices, all we had was each other… when we finally thought we could right our wrongs, all we had was our faith in each other. And when there was only betrayal and pain, we still could not stop. We could only go forward and we did. We couldn't even allow ourselves to hope for an _afterwards _because we didn't know if we would have one."

Ed fell silent as Al placed his hand on Ed's shoulder. Ed leant back against his brother and the evening light through the window limned them in gold.

Ed's voice whispered into the room as he turned his head to look at Winry. The golden eyes remained dry but his voice held all the tears he had not shed.

"Equivalent exchange had always been our belief. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. We knew the Truth that night. We died for each other that night. At purpose's end, sacrifices have to be justified and paid for. There is nothing in this world that could have stopped me or Al." Ed paused and then he smiled and it was the most honest smile Winry had ever seen on Ed's face. "We never wanted to burden you with any of our troubles. What we did, we fixed. It was our responsibility. But you have _always_ been what we could _always_ return to. We have always trusted you. Winry, we have always loved you and Granny. We always will."

Winry looked at them both and then covered her face as she began to cry. Al gave Ed's shoulder a squeeze before moving to kneel by Winry's chair and pulled her into his arms.

Pinako wiped her face of its silent tears and looked at the still figure of Edward. He had grown up before his time, he had shouldered burdens that would have deterred older and stronger men. He knew and understood obligations and responsibilities to others. He had sacrificed everything for what he held dear and he had done so with no regrets and a willingness so determined it was frightening. Beneath a childish façade he had hidden the maturity and pain. And now as _she_ stood there with sorrow and acceptance in her golden eyes Pinako knew only one thing.

Edward Elric had come of age and she had done so with a grace and strength that was undeniable.

* * *

Winry slotted the silver panel into place and Edward lifted her arm and made her fingers stretch out. She swivelled the wrist and extended her elbow. Both of them listened intently and could barely hear the muted hiss of the pneumatics and smooth bearings. They grinned at each other as Winry ran a cloth over the steel to remove any fingerprints and marks from her work.

"You're good to go then Ed." Winry said now that they had finished the thorough examination the new automail. Ed nodded at her, the smile still on her face. She could feel the shoulder port ache and knew that it would do so for quite some time, but it was just an ache now and not the persistent dragging pain that it had been.

Ed picked her shirt up and slipped it on over the tank top she wore. Four weeks had brought a measure of acceptance to Ed. They all saw him as female now even though he was still not completely reconciled to it yet.

Al came in and he and Ed shared a look.

"I rang them." Al said slowly. Winry looked at Al and then at Ed.

"And?"

"I said Friday, which gives us another day before we have to leave." Al had a slightly mischievous look in his eyes. Both Ed and Winry saw it and Ed's eyebrow rose.

"What have you done, Al?"

"Nothing Sister." He said cheerfully and then caved at their looks. "Oh ok. I left a message saying that I had arrived here and that I would be there by the end of the week."

"You left a message?"

"Yes. I think they were all at lunch."

"You're hiding something Alphonse Elric." Winry spoke up. His hands came up as he protested.

"Honestly Winry, that's all I said." Al's eyes had that sincere look that no-one else had ever been able to duplicate. You had to believe him when you saw that look. Al's secret weapon had always been his sincerity.

"He's not _hiding_ anything, Winry." Ed's voice smiled. "He just hasn't _told_ them anything, have you Al?"

"Maybe." Al's eyes flickered and Ed laughed.

"You're being bad Al." Ed smirked.

Al grinned at his sister as he walked across to where Winry was putting her tools away.

"We won't be gone long, Win. A month maybe." Al looked at his hands. "Just to confirm my resignation and to look at a few things in the library."

"Why the library?" Winry questioned and then stopped as her eyes went wide. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot." Both Elrics laughed at her stricken face. Even though they had not discussed the array and its results with each other, both were aware of the research opportunities in Central.

"We'll stay in that little hotel just off from the railway station. It's a nice cheap place and it has a phone so we can keep in touch."

"Why there? Why not the dorms?" Winry asked.

"I resigned, remember. The dorms are for military personnel only." Al smiled. "And that hotel is much more comfortable anyway."

"How are you going to get library access then, Al? You've sent your watch back." Winry looked at him.

"You said the State Alchemists were almost free of the military, didn't you Al? There'll be some way we can get in. And if not, then we'll get Mustang to grant us temporary access as my coming home present." Ed smirked at the thought.

"Two months." Pinako said from the doorway where she had been listening.

All three turned to the old woman with questioning looks.

"Two months," she repeated. "That will give you time to do what you have to in Central and then you can _both _return here. Ed's automail will need checking at that time." She paused. "After that it will be up to the pair of you to decide what you do from there."

Gold and grey met and a few moments of silent discussion ended as Ed shrugged and Al nodded. Winry frowned but then sighed her acceptance. Waiting was something she was familiar with but this time it had a definite limit.

"The train leaves at nine tomorrow morning." Pinako told them as she left to prepare lunch.

* * *

They left the house early the next morning. Ed had complained loudly as they had packed.

"Dammit, why do I need all of these things?" She had yelled at Winry.

"Because they're your clothes Ed! You need more than a pair of jeans and two shirts!"

"But they take up too much room. And what's with this flowery bag thing? It looks stupid."

"It's a toiletry bag, you idiot. It's got all your bathroom things in there." Winry sighed loudly. "And don't shove it into Al's case!"

"But it doesn't fit in mine!"

"Here's your automail kit. Lose it and I'll kill you."

"Get that makeup out of there or I'll toss it out the window."

Now Ed stood at the bottom of the porch stairs with three suitcases nearby, two of which were hers, and watched indulgently with Pinako as Al tried to dislodge Winry from his neck. It took half an hour and then another ten minutes before she would stop hugging Ed.

"Take care of yourselves," Pinako said as they gave her a last kiss and hug before they turned and began to walk down the road.

Winry and Pinako watched until they disappeared. Ed and Al did not look back.

* * *

They walked in companionable silence. As they rounded the hill that led to the cemetery they stopped and stood quietly for a moment before moving forward again.

Both of them had stood in front of the marble headstone yesterday. They had stayed there for a few hours and spoken little but both had found a measure of peace. Their mother had been the most important and defining person in their lives. They had lived _for_ each other but they had lived _because_ of her.

They walked on steadily heading for the train station and the three day trip to Central. Behind them, the petals slowly wilting, a ring of flowers lay on the marble slab, Ed's promise to the mother who had always believed in them.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you, thank you to all the people who have been reading this and hopefully enjoying it. A long weekend here has meant I could get this updated quicker.

And my thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 4: **Bar-Ohki **_(I tried not to go too over the top with it…lol)_, **catwwomen47**_ (they'll be in Central soon...lol)_, **DivineSubjugation**_(I am trying to keep them in character as much as possible altho' I realise that may not be possible for all scenarios)_, **EmoNekoNinja **_(thank you and yes they will get together, but I hadn't thought of babies at all...lol)_ **Fullmetal Lvr **_(I know what you mean indeed...lol… and thank you)_, **GlueProject**_(We all appreciate lace...lol… and Roy is going to see many things…lol)_, **hiya24** _(you can't have fem/ed without this but I'm trying to make it as real as I can without it going silly)_, **MaryLover** _(yes, I know some people don't like fem/ed and I was one of them...lol… so I'm glad you can see this as believable)_, **merichuel **_(glad you're enjoying and thank you)_, **N.James The Diehard Dishrag **_(thank you and I fixed it and one other being the pedant that I am…lol… and thank you for your appreciation)_,**ProzacFairy**_ (trying to make updates weekly)_, **Spirel **_(he is coming soon, I promise…next chapter)_

silken


	6. Resurrection

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will own, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Resurrection**

Alphonse Elric looked at his sister as she sat on their stacked cases leaning forward to gaze at the other side of the tracks. The sun lit up the long golden tail as it lay flat on her back. A deep blue coat covered the snug jeans and long sleeved top but she was still drawing furtive glances from the other would-be passengers.

He had been a bit worried about how Ed would react to being in public after four weeks of seeing no-one but family. So far she seemed calm although she was studiously ignoring everyone around her, hiding beneath her bangs. As he walked over with their tickets in his hand, she turned her head and smiled at him.

"All done?"

"Yes and the train is due in five minutes."

Ed nodded and leant back, her gloved fingers reaching behind her to curl over the edge of the cases for support. She looked up at him.

"Two months isn't so long, Al."

"I know, but…" Al sighed. Leaving was harder this time. And he was unsure of what waited for him in Central. He hadn't said anything to Ed yet but he knew he would have to soon. He wasn't going to be able to avoid it when they started their research.

"If Granny hadn't pushed us out Al, it would've been harder to leave later on." Ed remarked. "And it's only a day earlier than we planned." Al nodded in agreement although he still wished they could have stayed just a _little_ bit longer.

"Are you ok, Ed?" Al asked as he noticed Ed looking out across the tracks again, avoiding eye contact with any of the people around them.

"Yeah, I'm fine Al. Sort of." Ed knew what her brother was asking and she was feeling a bit unnerved by the attention she was getting but she was well aware of how anything remotely out of the ordinary became a matter of great importance in a small place like Resembool. "I'm not sure if they're looking at me because of how I look or because I'm with you." She grinned. "You realise that half an hour after we leave some well-meaning old biddy is going to be knocking on Winry's door saying…" and Ed pushed her voice up into a higher register, "'I saw that Alphonse Elric of yours getting on the train with a strange blonde, I always warned you that your tomboy ways would scare him off.'"

Al groaned. He knew Ed was right. Gossip was nearly as important as food and air to the people around here.

The train's arrival saved them both and they quickly boarded with the ease of long practice. After tossing their cases under the window between their seats, Ed automatically sprawled along one, folding her arm behind her head as a pillow.

"These seats are as comfy as they ever were," she said as she wriggled slightly. Al laughed. This routine was so familiar; Ed lying on the seat while he watched from the other side. In the old days Ed would spend more than half the trip asleep and the rest cheating at cards, eating, reading or looking out the window.

Both of them heaved matching sighs of guilty relief as they realised they were finally on their own again. This was how it had always been. Just the two of them on a train travelling to who knew where. As nice as the last few weeks had been, this is what they had missed.

"Hey Al." Ed suddenly said as the train began to move. "Have you figured out what you're going to tell Mustang yet?"

"No. I can only tell him the truth. You know what he's like, you can't hide things from him." Al paused, not totally surprised at Ed's question. "We haven't talked about this since you got back, why start now?"

"Because this is the first time we've been on our own, Al. You know what Winry would've done if we'd talked about this back there. And let's face it, neither of us has been wanting to discuss this. But we've run out of time now. Come Thursday and we'll be in Central and it'll be nothing but questions and recriminations." Ed paused and looked at her brother. "And you know it, Al."

"And what about you, Ed? What are you going to say?" Al threw the question back to Ed rather than admit to being worried.

"I'm not about to pretend to be a long lost cousin or something, Al. You're my brother and that's all there is to it." Ed frowned thoughtfully. "Since you brought me back we've been kept safe in a little cocoon, Al. It's been good and we… I needed it. My arm and the whole female thing, I needed to have the time to adjust and adapt. And lets be honest I'm still not totally adjusted. But we couldn't stay there forever and we know that. We're out now, Al and we have to face up to what's happened. If we hadn't left, you can bet they would've come looking."

"But how are we going to explain it? It's one thing to tell the truth to the Brigadier-General, but what about everyone else? 'The infamous Fullmetal Alchemist is back and he's a girl.' People are going to freak out Sis."

"I doubt anyone's going to be that concerned Al. I've been gone for four years. Any infamy of mine is probably long forgotten." Ed shrugged Al's concern away. She honestly did not think that anyone would be that interested in her return. Time dulled memories, people forgot and moved on.

"There are legends about you, Sis."

"That's just stupid, Al. Who'd be idiotic enough to believe things like that? We did what we did because we had to, Al. You were there, you know that. We never wanted any sort of public recognition for what we did. Just knowing we had helped was enough for us. Besides, it's not like we set out to do any of that, it just happened along the way."

Al sighed and rolled his eyes. Ed was just not going to believe him until she saw the truth with her own eyes and then all hell would break loose. He returned to the original question.

"So, how do you want to do this Ed?"

"Simple Al. You're my brother and you managed to find me. There was just a small accident along the way." Ed smiled. "See? Simple and honest."

"And the accident? Exactly what sort of accident do you want to have plastered all over your public record?"

Ed shrugged. "You're making this bigger than it needs to be Al." She waved her hand around. "We don't have to specify what sort of accident. As far as I know I was just walking along when I suddenly woke up like this. I'll have no idea of what happened. I'll claim amnesia if I have to."

"You're not serious, Ed?" Al exclaimed.

"I am, Al. I woke up like this, I have no idea how it happened. If I can't remember then there are no tracks for them to follow. They won't look to you." Ed looked at Al, her eyes serious. "Al, this is not something we can hide like we did before. We have to start as we mean to go on. There's no turning back here."

"But Ed, it puts the onus of this on you. That's not fair when I was the one…"

"Stop it, Al." Ed sat up and turned on the seat to face him. "This is not like before. We can go forward, we have our futures back. I told you before Al, I will not have you blame yourself for this, it was an accident and that is what we will tell everyone."

Al looked down at his hands and twisted his fingers together. He knew better. It was his fault. His voice was hesitant as he lifted his head and met Ed's eyes.

"Ed… I made a mistake in the calculations. If I'd been more careful, you wouldn't be female and you'd have your arm…" Al paused. "I know you don't blame me, but it's still my fault."

Ed kept her eyes on Al. Here it was, the great Elric trick of being able to transmute guilt from thin air. Ed had been a master at it and Al was proving to be just as skilled. There were a couple of ways to deal with this. One was impossible because a) they were on a train and b) because Pinako had forbidden any sparring for the next two months and Ed was pretty sure that 'beating some sense into your idiot brother' would be classed as sparring. Which left the other way. Ed took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"And if our research proves this to be irreversible? What then, Al? Will you carry that guilt for the rest of your life?" Ed's words made Al draw back, his eyes wide.

"It won't be! It can't be!" Al shook his head from side to side in denial.

"Al, you have to face it. This could be permanent." Ed's voice was soft and without inflection. She leant forward, keeping her eyes on his as she muttered. "I didn't expect to have this conversation on a train."

"We shouldn't be talking like this anywhere. I _am_ going to fix this, Sister." Al said in a determined manner. "Even if I have to withdraw my resignation."

"No." Ed straightened up and her voice became as determined as Al's. "You will do no such thing. We have two months and that should be enough to determine if we can reverse this or not. At the end of that time, _I_ will decide based on the results. After all, _I_ am the one this affects the most."

"But it's my fault. I am not going to allow you to suffer for what I did." Al clung to his guilt.

"Do I look like I'm suffering to you, Al? You gave me back my leg. Do you know how wonderful that is to me? I can go wherever I want Al, on these two perfect legs." Ed stared hard at Al. "Yes, giving me these legs is your fault, and I couldn't be happier about it."

"But the rest Ed… That's not something to be proud of, to be happy with." Al protested, trying to deny the slight easing of the burden he carried. Something had gone right but it wasn't enough to outweigh the rest of his mistake.

"I'm not happy to be back here? Where do you get that from, Al? You brought me home, to where everyone I love is. To where you are. How can you not be proud of that?" Ed smiled at her brother. "So yes, you can take the blame for that one too. Al, I am so proud of you for what you achieved."

Al frowned moving away from Ed by leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms but was unable to break the eye contact. "And the arm and the gender change? Can you honestly tell me you are happy with them? I know what you're doing Ed, and it won't work. You can't talk me out of this."

"But I can Al and you know it. Look at you, you're all defensive now." Ed paused and then carried on. "My arm? Yes, I am happy with it. It's convenient, it's saved my life so many times and this one is much lighter than the last one. It's a reminder of all we did, of the prices we paid and it reminds me that we succeeded, Al. If this arm is the cost of all we have been through then no I don't regret having it at all."

Here was the hardest part. Brutal honesty was needed here and Ed was not about to shirk it. Only by being so open could he hope to shift the guilt from Al. They usually preferred the beat each other up method simply because talking like this hurt more.

"The gender change? I can't say that I am happy with it and you know that, but neither can I say that I am upset with it. I'm not going to hide from this, Al. If this is irreversible then I will accept it the way we've always accepted things and keep going. This is not going to break us, Al. I have learnt so much this last month and there's still so much more to learn." Ed looked soberly at her brother and grimaced slightly. "It's not so bad being female, Al. At first it was very uncomfortable but I'm getting used to it and all that goes with it. It can be a pain at times and it's hard not to compare to what I was before but honestly Al, I'd rather be stuck this way forever than not be here at all. I told you that when you brought me back and I still mean every word."

Al looked at Ed. He knew Ed was telling the truth. He could see it in her eyes and the slight twitch of her shoulders. The one rule, the only rule of this method of guilt treatment was complete honesty and Ed had given him that. Which meant he was obligated to be equally honest in return. Al sighed. He would have preferred the beating, at least there he would've won.

"I'm not happy that what I did made you like this, Ed. And I don't want this to be permanent. A mistake in my calculations is the cause and whether it was an accident or an oversight on my part, I can't _not_ feel responsible for it. Can you honestly tell me that you don't still feel _some_ guilt or responsibility for what we tried to do all those years ago?" Eyes locked together as Ed nodded in rueful acknowledgement. "I can't let it go completely, Sis… but I will try to not… be so rabid about it."

"That's all I ask Al. We'll get through this just like we have everything else. Two months Al, we can do a lot in that time."

"I'll get the Brigadier-General to hold off my resignation until then. We'll be able to access all the libraries." Al nodded to himself and Ed wisely did not argue the point. She knew Al needed to feel that he could contribute something to this, so she kept her voice light.

"Two months of extra servitude? Winry is going to kill you Brother."

Al did not respond. He was thinking hard. He was going to find his error and he was going to fix it.

* * *

Early Thursday afternoon in Central found Brigadier-General Roy Mustang signing papers and forms with a concentration and application that brought a smile to the collective faces of his subordinates. They all knew that Alphonse Elric was expected tomorrow and Mustang always got his paperwork done so that he could spend most of the time with Al.

Four years had brought some changes to Roy Mustang. He had become 'dull and boring' according to Captain Havoc or as Hawkeye preferred to phrase it 'mature and responsible'. He had managed to keep 'his' team together through the unrest of four years ago and the recent border skirmishes and was now securely placed in the military hierarchy. Rumour had it that he was in line to replace the current Fuhrer, but Mustang had stopped aiming for that position. With the loss of his eye had come the blunting of his ambition.

What had technically been a successful operation had to him been a defeat. Edward Elric had vanished and he had been left behind with the realisation that all the killings and all the sacrifices had been for nothing but selfish greed. Mustang had felt his whole service to have been cheapened and his nightmares and ambitions cast aside as unworthy. Bitter cynicism had left him as bereft as Al. It had even been impossible for him to fully appreciate the miracle of the boy's return to the flesh.

As his injuries had healed, so had he. Slowly he had progressed. Sometimes he would crawl into a bottle for a few days but the ghosts would always drag him back out again. And then he began to find salvation in Alphonse Elric. The teenager had started visiting him about six months after he had regained his body and a friendship had quickly developed. When Al had joined the military, Roy had made sure to put himself in a position to help him. He had even given up his higher ranking to be able to continue giving Al assistance. Al's belief that Ed was not dead and only missing seemed irrational to Roy but for some reason it gave him a measure of hope, so he too believed. And that strange belief had kept him sane and sober on many a dark night.

Relearning to control his fire alchemy had also helped him. It had taken him three months after Al's first visit to gather enough courage to make the first attempt and when the flame had missed the target by six feet he had been devastated. But Roy Mustang was no quitter and he persevered. He diligently practised and finally he began to improve. Six feet became four then two. He began to feel more confident and in a rash moment tempted fate by using his flames in the office. After he had scorched Havoc twice and the filing cabinet three times, Hawkeye had banned him from practising in the office. Now he was once again the Flame Alchemist. He was confident and assured of his skill. He had sacrificed a fraction of his speed in order to gain the surety of aim. He took that extra moment to pinpoint his target precisely knowing that without it, his changed perception could still lead him into miscalculating and missing the target.

Roy Mustang thought himself content. Four years and he had everything he could have wanted. The ghost of Maes Hughes would cry out for a Mustang wife occasionally but Roy would only smile and close that book. The one woman he had ever considered seriously had found her own happiness with someone else and he hadn't been able to be too upset about it.

And tomorrow Alphonse would arrive. Mustang was not sure what had caused Al to send his watch and resignation in and it had given him more than one sleepless night over this last month. As far as Mustang could see there were only two reasons for Al to have done this. The first being that he had found a way to be with Ed, wherever that might be. Or the other more disturbing notion; that he had come to the end of his research and had found either proof or confirmation that Ed was indeed gone forever and had given up.

Until he had received that message three days ago Mustang had been living on one slim hope. That Al had written and promised Winry he would visit her. That had been the only thing that had kept Mustang from launching a nationwide search for the young man. Roy knew to what lengths despair could drive someone and although Al was probably the calmest person he had ever met, when it came to his brother Al was capable of doing anything. If Al had indeed found a way to be with Ed then he would return to Winry for a goodbye if nothing else. Mustang was well aware of how Al felt for her. But if Ed truly was dead … Roy was still terribly afraid of how Al would react to that.

But tomorrow he would be here and Roy Mustang was going to get some answers. His dark eye drifted across his desk to where the watch rested against the lamp stand. He was not going to accept that resignation until he was totally satisfied.

And then there was the small matter of State Laboratory S14. An obscure little lab doing god knew what with phosphates and silicates had sent a request for assistance in the small matter of some missing materials. The thief or thieves had managed to breach some extraordinarily tight security to locate and take a quantity of an unknown substance. A copy of the request had come to him from an Intelligence contact because of a notation that Al had been in the area at the same time and also because the lab was being extremely coy about both the strict security and the composition of the stolen material. And it had appeared on his desk at the same time as Al's resignation. Mustang did not believe in coincidences.

Tomorrow he was going to get a lot of answers. Al was easier in some aspects to deal with compared to his brother. Getting information from Ed had been like playing twenty questions while pulling teeth and just as intelligible. Al believed in honesty and openness in his reports and they were, whether verbal or written, always clear and easily understandable.

He sighed and looked at the pile of folders. Tomorrow Al would walk in with his polite knock and calm manner. So unlike the door 'kick and slam' method of Ed. Mustang chuckled to himself as he began to read another report.

"Something amusing you, Sir?" Hawkeye asked as she placed more folders on his desk.

"I was just thinking how pleasant it is when Al enters the office compared to his brother's technique. I haven't had to replace this door at all."

"Yes Sir, but at least the banging kept you from falling asleep at your desk."

* * *

Al reached over and dragged down his sister's shirt for the third time. Ed was fast asleep on the bench seat and had done her usual trick of pushing her shirt up to splay her hand across her stomach. Another half an hour and they would be in Central. Al looked out the window again. Three days on the train had started to wear on him.

Ed had been asleep for the last couple of hours and Al wished he could have done the same but the closer they got to Central the uneasier he was feeling.

"Relax Al. It will be fine," Ed's sleepy voice murmured. "We're not due 'til tomorrow, we don't have to front up as soon we get in."

"Easy for you to say" Al snapped back, his nerves jumping at Ed's recognition of his worried state.

Ed laughed and waved a hand over her changed form. "Oh yes, so easy, Al." She smiled at him. "We both have things to explain. We'll stomp into that bastard's office, shock him out his know-it-all mind and let him clear it up, just like the old days, Al." Ed smirked.

"You can't do that Sis! He's a Brigadier-General now, he deserves respect for one in his position." Al protested. "Besides, nothing shocks the Brigadier-General. He's a very controlled man." Then he smirked at an evil thought and grinned at Ed. "Unless you wore a mini skirt."

Ed spluttered. "NO WAY." She moved so quickly she was standing in front of Al before he knew it. "Alphonse Elric that has got to be the worst, the absolute worst thing I have ever heard you say." One hand on her hip, the automail one fisted under his nose. "If I ever hear filth like that coming from your mouth again I will transmute you into a garbage can for a month…" She broke off as Al fell back on his seat and laughed. She hadn't seen Al laugh like that in eight years.

"Oh god, Ed, your face! It was priceless! Oh Sister I'm sorry but that was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

It took Ed a slow thirty seconds before the murderous urge to severely maim or kill her brother passed and then another thirty seconds before her sense of humour kicked in and she began to laugh too.

"Could you imagine his face, Al?!" Ed grinned. "I don't think there'd be words to describe it."

"You're not seriously considering it Sister?" Al sat up alarmed.

"Of course not Al." Ed fell back on her seat. "I'm not that stupid." But the idea was filed away in the back of her mind for future reference.

* * *

An hour and a half later they were walking down the wide boulevard leading to Central Headquarters. Very little seemed changed to Ed and she felt very much at home as she looked around.

They had booked into the hotel and managed to get a shared room with adjoining bathroom. Ed had been all for having a rest and an early dinner but Al wanted to get to Headquarters. He didn't want to wait 'til the next morning. Ed had shrugged her shoulders and given up after five minutes of pointless arguing.

Her gloved hands were in her coat pockets and her pace easy and confident as she walked at Al's side. She didn't notice the looks she was getting but Al did. He smiled inwardly. Ed was always going to attract attention no matter how hard she might try to avoid it. And he had to admit that even to a brother's eyes, his sister was a rather attractive young woman especially with that air of confidence about her.

The large clock at the end of the square chimed four times as they paused at the stairs to Central Headquarters. The large banner above them flowed like green water in the light breeze. So many times they had been here, so many memories. Ed and Al shared a look and then began to climb the steps. "It's like coming home all over again," Ed muttered.

They entered the foyer side by side and Al moved towards the desk near the base of the large staircase. The desk sergeant looked up as they entered and saluted. Although he was fairly new to his post, he knew who this was.

"Alphonse Elric for Brigadier-General Mustang," Al said perfunctorily as he began to walk past. Ed hid a small smirk, Al had picked up some of the bastard's attitude it seemed.

"Ahh I'm sorry Major Elric but the young lady will have to wait here." The sergeant looked at the Major's golden companion. No-one had told him that the blonde who sometimes accompanied Major Elric was granted automatic access. Even if _this _blonde was _not_ his usual companion.

"It's ok, Sergeant. There's no danger here, I'm sure the Brigadier-General will not object." Al looked slightly startled.

"I'm sorry Sir, but orders are orders. No non-military persons are to be allowed past this point." Al frowned. Only once before had this happened and that had been the first time he had brought Winry here. Before the blood had dried and the scars healed Winry had been invited to enter anytime she cared to visit. This sergeant didn't know how lucky he was that it wasn't Winry smirking at his side.

"Then perhaps you can inform the Brigadier-General of my arrival and tell him to meet me here." A hint of steel threaded through his voice.

Edward watched Al deal with the sergeant. Al was being determined and he could and would level anyone in his path when he was so inclined. Ed grinned, she was going to enjoy this. After herself, Al had to be the stubbornest person she knew.

"But sir, I can't…"

"Then neither can I Sergeant. Either we are allowed to pass or you will carry my message to the Brigadier-General's office."

The sergeant looked shocked. And then it got worse.

"Hey Al, while we're waiting for the old bastard how 'bout showing me that statue like you promised." The blonde tossed her head towards the side door. "Mess hall's that way still isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Alphonse Elric turned to the sergeant with a 'what, still here' expression on his face. "Tell the Brigadier-General where we are when you deliver the message won't you?"

* * *

Ed and Al stood in front of the statue. Cast in bronze that had already begun to go green around the edges was Edward Elric, his legs akimbo and his hands raised palms together in front of his chest with his trademark coat flaring out behind him.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ed exclaimed as she saw it. "Dedicated to the memory of Major Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist. The Youngest State Alchemist. Hero of the People." Ed read the small plaque and turned on her brother. "How could you let them do this to me Al?"

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang ignored the sound of a knock at the outer office door. He was still concentrating on his paperwork and another hour should see him clear of the detested stuff and free to enjoy tomorrow.

"Excuse me Captain, but Major Elric sent me."

The whole office stopped. Mustang froze in his place. Alphonse was here? A day early? And he had sent the desk sergeant up?

"Why would Major Elric do that, Sergeant?" Hawkeye's cool voice spoke clearly.

"Um, he wouldn't leave the young lady in the foyer, Captain."

"A blonde young lady, Sergeant?" Mustang smirked at Hawkeye's query. It appeared Winry had come with Al. This was going to be interesting.

At the sergeant's verifying nod, Hawkeye continued. "Did the Major explain that her presence would not be a problem?" Captain Havoc pursed his lips in a silent whistle... Winry had been refused admittance? There was going to be bloodshed.

"Yes Captain, but regulations state…" Even the pedantic Senior Warrant Officer Falman raised his eyebrow at that.

"Those regulations do not apply to Major Elric. Nor to his companion. She is a welcome friend to us all." Brigadier-General Mustang stood in his office door and frowned at the now exceedingly pale sergeant.

"Perhaps you could inform me of Major Elric and his young companion's whereabouts, Sergeant." Roy Mustang continued icily. "I am sure the Major would have included that information in his message."

* * *

Mustang insisted upon the desk sergeant escorting him as, with Hawkeye, Havoc and Falman following, he walked down to the foyer and then to the courtyard in front of the mess hall.

There he could see Alphonse Elric standing in front of the statue of his brother. And beside him was the blonde who had caused all the fuss. The moment Mustang saw the length of the hair in that brilliant golden shade lying on the deep blue coat he knew that Al's companion was not Winry Rockbell. That golden colour was even brighter than he recalled Ed's hair to be. Whoever Al's companion was, she seemed to be totally at ease beside him.

To say Mustang and his colleagues were startled would be an understatement. Like everyone else, they had never thought to see Al with anyone other Winry.

"It's rather tacky." The blonde was saying in a clear confidant voice as she stood there, arms crossed, her head tilted slightly. "Ya think if we stole it any one would notice?"

"That is a memorial to possibly the finest State Alchemist Amestris has ever known." Mustang snapped before he could stop himself. The blonde stiffened and spoke again without turning around, a barely discernable trace of a smile in her light voice.

"Doesn't change anything. I don't believe he would like this one bit. It's ostentatious and totally unnecessary."

"Edward Elric was a man for the people. It is a fitting tribute for such a hero."

The blonde relaxed and laughed in obvious delight. Al snuck a sideways glance at his sister and sighed silently at the unholy glee on Ed's face. This was not going to be pretty.

"Oh get real, bastard. You spent more time insulting him than you did on paperwork. You deliberately sent him to clean up the military's messes and smooth your path for you."

Mustang's eye went hard and his mouth thinned. Hawkeye's face became cold, her hand reaching for her gun. How dare this stranger talk to the Brigadier General like that, how dare she mock the memory of Edward Elric. Havoc and Falman exchanged glances and stepped closer to take flanking positions behind Mustang.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist was the finest man I ever had the privilege to command."

"Ahh, memory can be so fickle can it not?" The blonde questioned lightly. Laughter was running through each word. "Let's be honest here, Mustang. You never liked him and he never liked you."

A collective gasp came from behind Hawkeye. A small group of soldiers had exited the mess hall and now found themselves caught up watching this pair verbally duel. Master Sergeant Fuery and First Lieutenant Breda were amongst them and slipped closer to stand with their friends, their eyes wide and curious.

"He thought you arrogant and insufferable, you thought him selfish and childish. Uncaring, unfeeling, each using the other for your own goals." The light teasing voice continued as the wind picked up and the waist length golden tail swung in a slow arc.

"He was the most honest person I ever met. He never gave up, he never turned away from any challenge." Mustang ground his teeth together. His gloved hand was clenched tight in his pocket. This girl was pushing every single button he had. And Al was letting her. He stayed silent beside her, and neither of them had turned around.

"Colonel Useless. Colonel Bastard. Colonel Shithead. It was a litany. Edward Elric's litany." Another laugh echoed into the silence now filling the courtyard. "Do you think he respected you at all, Mustang?"

The words flowed around him. Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was finding it hard to think. He was no longer aware of where he was. They could have been the only two in the whole world for all he knew. The golden blonde before him was tearing his control apart with her light voice. She was breaking him with every single word she spoke. Her voice was smiling and easy, like a siren's song, holding no malice, no awareness of his pain, nothing.

"Did you respect him, Mustang?" His eye burned.

"Or was he merely a foolish child?" His hands shook.

"Do you think his attempts to redeem himself… and his brother … worthy of the sacrifices he made for you?" He stopped breathing.

"Do you think he would forgive you for what you made him do?" His heart nearly stopped.

"Did you use him enough to redeem yourself from your own worst mistakes?"

Even Hawkeye took a step back at those words. Mustang stood frozen, the last remnants of his strict self-control scattered by the careless pleasure in the silken voice of the blonde.

Mustang took a deep breath and slowly pulled his gloved hand from his pocket. This had to stop. This was going to stop. He was going to stop it. He could not listen to another poisoned word in those casual tones. He began to raise his arm, fingers poised.

"Do you know what Edward Elric would do if he could see this statue?" The tone was reflective and relaxed. There was no recognition of the fiery rage burning in the man behind her.

"No." Al spoke for the first time. And he was not answering the question.

"Yes." Only Al saw her gloved hands press together as the blonde stepped forward. "This is what he would do."

The watching soldiers heard no clap but they all saw two gloved hands touch the statue. With a sharp blue flash and a rumble it shuddered and slipped into the ground.

The blonde turned around and Brigadier-General Roy Mustang found himself looking into golden eyes. The world closed in on him. Golden eyes that should only have ever belonged to Edward Elric and not some insensitive insulting stranger, were laughing at him. Mustang was aware of nothing but those eyes and then the teasing smiling voice spoke again.

"I'm sure Al can resurrect me… if you really want it back."

Mustang snapped.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you once again to all who are reading this. I am enjoying writing this although each chapter seems to be getting longer. And I know, so bad for stopping it there.

And as always to my reviewers, thank you so very much. **animecrazd **_(yes, sizes do vary a lot and not just from country to country, but from shop to shop... a size 14 girls here would be equivalent to a womens 12 here and even a 10 in some stores, so it's hard...lol, yes, I was small during mine too, I think I got to a size 14 for the last trimester, I think being short is really helpful at times..lol)_,**Bar-Ohki **_(lol…glad to see you still enjoying and hope there are more fun moments for you…lol)_,**catwwomen47 **_(Ed's very good at shocking people and there is more to come...lol)_, **CrystalShifter **_(thank you very much, I am trying to keep it believable as much as I can)_, **ehxhfdl14 **_(science nerds have their place too and it was interesting to read your points, thank you) _**Glue Project** _(and Roy appears...lol)_,** Keeper of the Times **_(thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying)_,** MaryLover **_(they have arrived...lol)_, **merichuel**_(thank you for the kind words and am still on track for weekly updates)_, **ProzacFairy **_(I hope Roy's initial reaction was all you hoped for…lol…and he does a lot more reacting in the next chapter…lol)_

silken :)


	7. First Impressions

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 7: First Impressions**

Mustang snapped and flames erupted in an uncontrolled stream of molten heat. Edward moved quicker than thought, clapping as she dropped to the ground, hands slapping hard to erect a barrier.

"You stupid bastard, Mustang!" The blonde shouted. "You nearly hit Al, you snap-happy idiot!"

She vaulted the dirt wall and with her earlier impressive speed closed the gap between them. Flames swirled above her head and she smoothly somersaulted beneath them. A sideways twist and her hands hit the ground to create a large earthen spike just in front of her and pointed towards Mustang. He stepped back as Ed had hoped and she used the spike as a ramp to bring herself within striking distance. Mustang blinked and found himself looking down at a slim silver blade protruding from a torn coat sleeve. Those golden eyes were looking at him furiously.

"I hope that patch does something for you Mustang, because it sure as hell fucks with your aim and reflexes."

"Edward?" Mustang's harsh whisper carried through the silent courtyard. Mustang stood there, the automail blade at his throat and his fingers poised to snap. His face was white with anger and his eye reflected the flames he was ready to unleash again.

It was a shocking case of déjà vu for his team as their minds went back nearly five years to another battle between these two that had ended in this exact same position. To the other spectators, who had not been present at that event, they had seen something that would have them talking for weeks. Brigadier-General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, the most self-controlled man they had ever known - so controlled he was known as the Ice General, strictly behind his back - and reputed at one time to be the greatest ladies man in living memory, had let a petite blonde goad him into the biggest temper tantrum of his life.

"No, I'm the fucking Ghost of Christmas Past." Ed rolled her eyes. Mustang was totally confused. He didn't understand the reference and his confusion was exacerbated by the golden eyes that kept looking at him expectantly. This was Edward Elric? Back here after four years? Female? Roy Mustang had never been so mentally derailed in his life. The boiling anger resurfaced and his arm shook as he tried to regain his self control.

"Edward." Al's warning voice spoke gently behind them.

Ed sighed and brought down her arm, her hand passing over the blade to return it to normal with a small blue spark. "Of course it's Edward. Did they forget to give you back your brain when they promoted you?"

That was when Captain Hawkeye lost her calm demeanour and fired. The bullet passed by Ed's ear and she felt its passage ruffle her hair. She turned towards the Captain.

"Hawkeye," she smiled with pure pleasure. "Still carrying the old man I see."

And Mustang snapped again.

* * *

Mustang stormed straight through the outer office and into his inner sanctum. He threw himself into his chair and then jumped straight back up again. Ed sauntered in behind him, her coat singed down one side, and looked around curiously while Al stayed by the door. Hawkeye stood near him with Havoc hanging over her shoulder. The other three were further back in a poor attempt to appear diplomatic.

Mustang slammed his hands onto his desk. He didn't think he'd ever been this angry in his life before. And there could be only one thing, one person that could cause it.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Fullmetal?" He roared.

"Getting rid of an eyesore" Ed replied as she noticed the book cases along one wall.

"You had no right to wilfully damage State property…"

Ed looked at Mustang, her eyes going hard and strode across the office to stand in front of his desk. Mustang was being unreasonable about the whole thing as far as she was concerned and he needed to be told that. She slammed her hands onto the desk as well and the metallic crash was not lost on anyone as her stance mirrored his.

"I had every right, you bastard! You put up that travesty to all I ever did and expect me to be happy about it? Where was Al on that monstrosity? Everything I ever did was for him and you ignored him. Any tribute you plan to erect has to have him there or it's just an insult!"

They stood there glaring at each other, a furious dark eye clashing with strong golden ones. Mustang was being driven by equal amounts of anger and adrenaline and shock. He was shaking again in an effort to regain his self-control and it just wasn't working. Those vivid golden eyes would not let him. Edward Elric's eyes. It was the only thought in his mind.

"Alphonse wasn't the one who _died_!" Mustang shouted.

"He came back, you bastard!" Edward shouted in return. "And then you nearly killed him ten minutes ago with your little fireworks show you moron! I thought you had better control, _Brigadier-General_."

"What did you expect, Fullmetal? You reappear after four years, start flinging insults around and then destroy the memorial. Trampling on the faith of all those that believed in what it… no, _you_ stood for." Mustang oozed sarcasm as he tried desperately to find a way through his internal vertigo. He had to double blink again at the sight of a golden _female_ Edward Elric.

"At least he didn't say they looked up to you Ed." Al interposed from the sidelines.

"Shut up Alphonse," Ed gritted out and then glared at Mustang. "If they're foolish enough to believe in all that altruistic bullshit then maybe that's not such a bad thing. Get real Mustang, they're military dogs; being here for the good of the country doesn't last much past your first mission." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "And since when did giving you shit become a capital offence instead of an idle past-time anyway?"

Mustang threw his hands up in the air and then fisted them into his hair. "Since you disappeared four years ago and then had the nerve to reappear as if nothing had happened! You expected us to welcome you with open arms? With a party and streamers? I'm sorry Ed, I guess I didn't get the memo for that one."

Mustang slammed his hands back on the desk. "And let us not forget the small matter of your gender Ed. You're female! The Fullmetal Alchemist is now a girl? That's something that almost overshadows your whole return from the dead trick." Mustang was having a hard time retaining his coherency. One shock after another coupled with his insane fury had completely addled his wits.

Ed began to smile inwardly. She saw his eye beginning to lose its focus as the adrenaline rush began to fade. But there was still value to be had with a disorientated Mustang. She hadn't spent four years as his subordinate without learning a few tricks.

Edward turned to her brother. "And you wanted me to wear a miniskirt." She rolled her eyes and then grinned at the outraged snarling that came from Mustang's direction. And the choking sounds from the others behind Al.

"A miniskirt might have been safer, Sister," Al shrugged. He, along with the rest of the office had smiles on their faces. It had been a long time since they had seen their Brigadier-General this animated. The argument between Edward and Mustang had brought back a lot of memories.

"Will one of you please explain the whole 'sister' act?" Mustang growled, one hand running across his face. "I really do not think I can take much more of this." As the adrenaline faded his mental dislocation was returning.

"You think this is an act?" Ed's voice went soft and dangerous. Al straightened up and took a step forward but Ed waved him back. She shrugged out of her coat and tossed it on the couch behind her. A slim female Edward in fitted jeans and a long sleeved shirt that clung just as snugly as the jeans stood there. "There is no act, Mustang."

"How?" was all Mustang could manage at this point.

"An accident." Ed shrugged.

"Your arm…"

"Is still automail but not my leg."

"So you really are…?"

"Back, yes. Female, yes. Pissed at you, yes. Dying for some coffee, yes. And something to eat would be nice too."

Mustang had no reply. He fell back into his chair, his mind completely blank and feeling as limp as a wet rag. Edward Elric was back and he was female and he was standing in his office. Mustang was now officially in hell.

"I'll get coffee." Al said. "Lots of it."

Ed nodded, a brief smile on her face as her eyes flickered back to Mustang. He was sitting there speechless, unable to stop staring at her. That had been the most fun she had had in years.

Havoc stepped into the room cautiously, his eyes wide. "Boss…?"

"Yeah, Havoc." Ed looked at him and grinned. "Long time no see, hey."

Havoc shook his head. "You… I mean… this ... oh." Havoc gave it up and grinned back. "It's good to see you again, Boss. It just hasn't been the same without you around."

Ed laughed. "I bet it hasn't."

* * *

It took Hawkeye thirty minutes to bring any sort of order to the office and Ed was now curled up on the couch while the others had scattered themselves around Mustang's office. Everyone had some of the freshly brewed extra strong coffee and Hawkeye had even organised for sandwiches to be delivered.

Ed watched them as she rotated her shoulder gently. She smiled, it was good to see them all again and she had thoroughly enjoyed upsetting Mustang. He was keeping pretty quiet at the moment but she had felt his eye on her a few times. She had no doubt that as soon as he could he would kick everyone out and demand a full report so he could yell at her some more.

"Is your arm ok, Sis?" Al asked from his chair beside her.

"Its fine Al, my shoulder's just aching a bit. I think I slammed it down too hard."

"You damage that and Winry will kill you." Al warned.

"How long have you been back, Edward?" Hawkeye asked.

"'Bout a month. I had to get my arm done before I did anything else." Ed pulled up her sleeve to show off the automail. "They really did me proud this time."

Havoc laughed. "I bet you nearly got killed by that Winry though, Boss."

"True, but it was worth it to get my arm back."

Mustang watched them talking. Ed's face glowed as she answered their questions and Al was obviously delighted as he listened. Mustang could not imagine what Al was feeling at the moment. He barely understood what he was feeling let alone someone in Al's position. Four years since that night when he had last seen Edward. Anger curled inside him again as he recalled the words from the courtyard earlier. Ed had managed to question everything they had said to each other that last time. He was going to have to have a long talk with Edward.

Edward Elric. Back. It was one thing to have an illogical belief, it was definitely another to see it come true. But there was Edward Elric. And he was female. Roy Mustang could not deny the evidence in front of him. He could see it. The shape, the face, the voice, all female. How was either of them coping with that? And how am I coping with it? Mustang asked himself and then replied, I'm not.

Four years. Mustang kept looking at Edward. He… no, she was nineteen now, an adult grown up in some strange place. Mustang felt a slight pang at the thought that he had not been there to see Edward grow up. He had taken the Elrics under his wing when they had been mere children and he had never thought that there would be anything they would or could do without his knowing about it. But Ed had disappeared and then grown up without him or Al and wait, Mustang frowned in recollection, he… damn, she had let something slip earlier. Something about Al coming back. He'd never heard Al mention it. What else had happened that night? He really was going to have to talk with Edward. But not yet. It could wait.

It was strange to see how much the room had come alive just because he… no, she was here. Mustang groaned to himself, this change of sex was going to be the death of him. How on earth had Alphonse managed it, he wondered. Bringing him…damn, her back and then being able to accept the change so completely. Al was totally at ease with his … sister. Perhaps, Mustang thought, my problem isn't with Ed being female, it's with Ed having a gender at all. He had always thought of Edward Elric as 'Edward Elric' or 'Fullmetal' or 'that damned brat'. There had never been any concessions given to Edward for either his age or gender. Even using 'he' had seemed just a shorter way of saying 'Fullmetal'.

Mustang smirked at that thought as he watched this new Edward Elric charm his staff. Even Fuery had forgotten to be shy as he pressed her for more information on some sort of technological device on the other side of the Gate.

He looked at them all. At the beginning there had been one and then two. The three of them, Hawkeye, Hughes and himself had set out their goals and gradually the others had joined them. Eight years ago the Elrics had pushed their way into his life, with his reluctant consent, and taken over a large part of it. Edward Elric had been the storm and Alphonse had been the calm. The pair of them had accomplished everything anyone could have asked of them and more. In helping themselves they had helped him and vice versa. To see them here together like this seemed to him to be a bigger miracle than when Al had finally lost his metal shell. He mentally saluted the one he never forgot and wryly smiled as he imagined what Hughes would say to all of this.

"… hotel by the station." Mustang only caught the tail end of Ed's reply as he came out of his mental daze.

"Why are you staying there, Edward?" Hawkeye asked.

"Because I really don't think I qualify for a dorm after all this time." Ed laughed.

"It could be arranged, Edward. After all you are Al's bro… sister I mean." Hawkeye stumbled and a faint pink dusted her cheeks.

"It's ok, Hawkeye. I still do that too." Ed smiled.

"Edward could not stay in Major Elric's dorm," Falman said. "The regulations do not allow personnel of different sexes to share accommodation."

"Only on a long term basis, Falman" Breda laughed coarsely. "There's plenty short term sharing going on."

"They're called one night stands, Breda," Havoc retorted.

"No-one stands for them, Havoc." Ed smirked from the corner of the couch.

Mustang blinked and the others froze. Edward Elric did not just say that, did he… she? Ribald innuendo was not something they had ever associated with Edward be he male or female.

"You're making them blush, Sis." Al said calmly. It would take more than a single comment to make him blush. After all, he had known Ed all his life.

"It is a bit of shock, Edward. You have been away for so long it's hard to realise that you are an adult now and not the bratty fifteen year old we remember." Hawkeye said slowly.

"But I'm still Edward, Hawkeye. No matter what changes there are or will be, I am still me. Just grown up, that's all." Ed smiled at the blonde woman. "I'd be more worried if nothing had changed."

Riza Hawkeye smiled back. Edward Elric had certainly changed but the earlier performance had been straight out of the past. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Roy react like that. After the initial shock had worn off, she had felt a surge of gratitude to Edward. His, no her return had also meant the return of Roy Mustang. It had hurt her to see her old friend close himself away from everyone, to become so self-controlled and aloof to all but a select few. That dark time during his hospitalisation had been terrifying and she knew that there had been worse moments that she had not witnessed. To see such a strong man brought so low and so bitter still made her shiver. But today, his anger had been the most wonderful thing she had seen in four years. And it was all because of Edward.

Mustang pursed his lips silently and made eye contact with Falman. A quick toss of his head and the flicking of his eye to Fuery and Breda got his message across and Falman nodded.

Falman stood up and nudged Fuery. "It is time we were leaving. We have an early start tomorrow."

Fuery nodded. "Breda too. You promised you'd assist with that wiring tomorrow." Breda groaned as he recalled his rash promise. But it had been the only way he could get Fuery to play shogi with him.

Five minutes later only Havoc, Hawkeye and Mustang remained in the office with the Elrics. Ed and Al shared a quick look. The others were gone and their time was now officially up.

"Smooth, Mustang, real smooth" Ed said as she flopped back onto the couch again. This time she lay on her stomach and placed her arms over the armrest before settling her chin onto her flesh hand. Mustang merely smirked in reply. Ed sighed and grinned at him. "Let the inquisition begin" she intoned.

"Your return. What happened, Fullmetal?" Mustang ignored the surprised faces around him and focused on the one face that showed no surprise. Understanding flashed in the golden eyes. Mustang had reverted back to the old ways. He needed the reassurance of this after the turmoil she had inflicted upon him earlier. This was the way he had always handled her reports and it was the way that allowed him to take command of the situation. Though time had changed them, they found the familiarity comforting and both were aware that the earlier acrimony would be missing although it wouldn't stop them from still having some fun with each other.

"I was walking along and I woke up back here." Ed said, a nice bland opening ripe for embellishing.

"Nice try, Edward, but a bit…short, even for you." Mustang said and was rather surprised when all Ed did was smirk at his comment and not break out into a rant. So the brat had grown up, Mustang hid a smile. "Perhaps the truth." His tone seemed to suggest that Ed was unfamiliar with the concept.

"That is the truth, Mustang. I had been … visiting a friend and was on my way back to the place I was staying when everything went black. I woke up back here." Ed's voice was firm and her eyes never left his. She was not prepared to have this part of her story played with.

"Visiting a friend?" Mustang's eyebrow rose as he marked the pause and the unwavering stare. He would abide by the unspoken request but he would know the truth of it.

Ed's lips twisted slightly. "Yes, a friend." She knew he would not let it rest so she added. "I was at his grave." Mustang nodded in acknowledgement, his eye flashing in unvoiced sympathy. He left it there, despite his curiousity. There would be time later.

"And that's what happened to you? You woke up back here and you were missing your arm, your leg was back and you were female."

Ed nodded. "Yep, that about covers it." Ed smirked inside even as she knew his next move.

"Alphonse." Mustang and Edward kept their gazes locked on each other.

"Yes," and it was Ed who spoke to the surprise of Hawkeye and Havoc. Al stayed silent. He knew the way this would go. This was between the Brigadier-General and Edward. His role at the moment was merely to be here. Later it would be his turn to speak.

"How?"

"Sheer brilliance and determination." Ed's voice softened. "It was a magnificent array."

"Human transmutations are illegal, Fullmetal." Mustang said. Both of them heard the smile behind his words.

"This was no human transmutation, Mustang. The array was designed for retrieval not creation." A quick riposte.

"Gaining a leg and a gender change would suggest otherwise, Fullmetal. What went wrong?" His smirk to infer carelessness made Ed narrow her eyes.

"Who said anything went wrong bastard? Equivalency is a delicate balance, as you well know. And the Gate has rules none of us comprehend." She replied, implying a lack of knowledge on his part.

"So like last time, you have come here to find a way to correct yet another mistake." Mustang said coolly. Ed's eyes flickered at his jibe and she couldn't hide the pain that briefly shadowed her face.

"That is part of the reason we came here. If there was an error in the equivalencies then we will find it." Ed paused before taking the point with a blunt appraisal of the situation. "And then we will know if this is permanent or not."

Mustang was impressed with Ed's self control and honesty. He felt a pang of regret for his words but neither of them would ever refuse to face the truth no matter how painful it could be.

"And if it is?" Mustang's voice was hushed.

"Then I go forward as I have always done." Edward looked at him. He had never seen Ed's eyes so serene. There was no indecision in this Edward Elric. She knew exactly what there was to win and to lose and she was prepared for either eventuality. Edward Elric had gained in strength and wisdom during the last four years and Mustang was slightly awed by the maturity of this new Ed. But he wasn't going to admit it.

"I will of course want all of this in your report, Fullmetal." Mustang smirked at the blonde, knowing how much Edward had detested the need for reports.

Ed smirked right back at him. "And I'll accept your offer of library access for the next two months, bastard." She watched as Mustang caught the implication. No access, no report.

Hawkeye and Havoc were startled when Mustang slammed his hand on the desk. "Dammit Edward!"

"I win." Ed grinned at the Brigadier-General as he gave a rueful laugh. It was the rule, the first one to lose control lost and Ed had finally won one.

"There's still a lot to discuss." Mustang steepled his fingers beneath his chin and his eye turned towards Alphonse.

Ed and Al looked at each other. They were silent for a moment then Ed sighed after Al's eyes hardened.

"Fine," she said.

"I'd like you to rescind my resignation, Brigadier-General." Al stated. Ed coughed. "For two months," he added.

"You resigned, Al?" Havoc spluttered. "When?" He turned to Hawkeye who had remained calm. "You knew? And you didn't tell me?"

"I couldn't, Jean." Hawkeye replied. Ed's eyes widened as she heard the regret in Hawkeye's voice and saw the way Hawkeye leaned towards Havoc.

"You and Hawkeye?" Ed gaped. "Hawkeye and Havoc? You got together?" Her voice scaled upwards and then she turned on her brother. "Al! Why didn't you tell me about this? Some brother you are."

"I wanted it to be a surprise, Sister." Al replied calmly even as his face split in two with a large smile.

"Oh it's a surprise alright." She stretched across and punched his arm lightly and then grinned at him. "More than you and Winry were."

"Ahh, are you two official now, Alphonse? Congratulations." Hawkeye smiled at him as he fidgeted awkwardly and shot a dark look at his sister.

"Yes, Captain. Thank you." Al blushed.

"And from me too, Alphonse. It's wonderful news." Mustang smiled at the young man as he moved from his desk and went to shake his hand. Havoc thumped him on the back with a "'bout time Al, well done mate," as Mustang said "you'll have to tell us all about it."

Ed raised her eyebrow at their enthusiasm and caught Hawkeye's eye who shrugged and just said "Men." Ed looked startled and Hawkeye suddenly realised what she'd said and then both just grinned at each other. Ed hadn't realised that women had their own world view and this first glimpse intrigued her. She would have to get Hawkeye alone soon and find out more about it.

Al turned red and nearly fell off his chair at the Brigadier-General's comment and he shook his head furiously from side to side. Ed stuffed her hand into her mouth to control the laughter but it got the better of her and she rolled off the couch laughing so hard her eyes watered.

Al jumped up and pointed at her. "Don't you say a word, Edward! Not one word!" His voice was filled with embarrassment. Winry had not been happy with him and had threatened him if he ever told anyone of how she had failed to recognise, and had even been jealous of Ed.

Ed was kneeling on the floor, her eyes alight and her face pink. She strained to regain some measure of control. "Ohh Al, it wasn't that bad… really." In Ed's opinion Winry had blown it all out of proportion and what had merely been something to giggle over had now taken on mythical overtones to be passed down through the generations. Both Ed and Pinako had ignored Winry's threats and had shared many a surreptitious laugh over it.

Al got that stubborn look on his face and everyone knew they'd be getting nothing more from him. They would have to wait for another opportunity to find out exactly what had happened.

Mustang paused on his way back to his desk and offered his hand to assist Ed as she started to rise from the floor. She took it with her right hand, and then winced slightly as her shoulder twinged as he pulled her upright. A small shake of her head answered his raised eyebrow and he let her hand go as she flopped back onto the couch. Ed wondered when they had begun to get so fluent in non-verbal communication. Maybe it had been worth the singed coat.

"Why two months Al?" Mustang asked as he re-seated himself.

"Winry" coughed Ed.

"Automail check up" Al glared at Ed.

Both grimaced at each other. Then Al sighed and turned back to Mustang.

"Two months should allow us enough time to go over all my notes and calculations, Sir. With access to the libraries here we can double check everything."

"This is not like last time, Mustang. This time we know what we're looking for." Ed added.

Mustang picked up the watch from his desk and tossed it towards Al. "It's just as well I didn't accept it after all, isn't it." Al caught it and smiled slightly as he let his fingers run over the familiar weight before he slipped it into his pocket.

"It's getting late, Sir. I think we should leave the other matters until tomorrow." Hawkeye said firmly as she stood up.

Ed looked at Al with his watch, a distant look in her eyes. "Whatever happened to my watch?" she murmured quietly.

"I believe it's on display at the library Ed." Mustang said blandly as he stretched and nodded to Hawkeye and Havoc. "Yes, tomorrow sounds good. Ten o'clock suit you Al, Ed?" He was not disappointed in Ed's lack of response to his question.

"On display?!" Ed jumped up, outraged. "You have got to be joking! My watch isn't something for people to gawk at! I want it back!" Mustang chuckled. Ed might not react to comments about his… her height anymore but hinting at public adulation was just as effective. If not more so as Mustang recalled Ed's reluctance to be put on display at official functions in the past.

"Come on Sis, let's get back to the hotel. Ten will be fine, Sir." Al grabbed Ed's left arm and pulled her towards the door. She could still be heard protesting from the outer office.

"We'll give you a lift, Al" Havoc said as he followed them. Hawkeye saluted the Brigadier-General and then left as well.

Roy Mustang listened until they had disappeared before he reached into his desk drawer. There lay a battered silver watch. He picked it up and held it on his open palm as he leant back in his chair. He looked at it and began to smile. He replayed the day's events and finally he put his head back and laughed, his hand closing around Edward Elric's watch.

* * *

Jean Havoc leant back and slipped his arm around Riza's shoulders as they relaxed in their apartment. He sighed with contentment and grinned.

"Did you see the Chief's face when Ed stuck that blade of his in his face again?" Havoc gloated slightly.

"Her, Jean. Her blade. Edward is a woman now." Riza said in a pedantic tone and then grinned at him when he pouted at her.

"Yeah, but he… she's still so… so…_Ed_." Havoc paused. "The Boss is back complete with attitude. I haven't seen the Chief so worked up in years, have you?"

"I think Edward's return is the best thing that could have happened. For Roy and most especially for Alphonse."

They sat silently for a while then Jean turned slightly and whispered close to her ear. "Do you think we could persuade Edward to re-enlist? It would make life so much more interesting at work. What odds would you give me?"

* * *

Edward Elric woke up early the next morning and stumbled into the bathroom. One side effect of being female was the extra time in the bathroom he seemed to need now. That silly flowered toiletry bag Winry had insisted upon was expandable and he was unpleasantly surprised by just how much it contained. At first it had irked that he had to do all these seemingly pointless things but after a while he had begun to enjoy it, not so much what he had to do, but rather the time it took to do them. Mainly because in here, in the bathroom, was the only time and place he could be _himself_. Just because everyone else saw him as a girl didn't mean that he did…yet.

He knew that one day there would come a time when he forgot to think of himself as male, when he would stop thinking of himself as Al's brother. It had been a relief to him when Hawkeye and the others stumbled over his gender and referred to him as _him_. It had reassured him that _he_ hadn't disappeared, that _he_ hadn't been replaced.

He stood under the shower and frowned at the tiles. Two months. He already had a feeling that the situation was not reversible, but he couldn't say anything. Al was not prepared to listen and there was a tiny place inside of him that did wish for a return of the status quo. Even if it meant giving his leg back, as he winced at another nick to his ankle. Why did women have to shave their legs anyway he grumbled. Then he smiled ruefully. If he didn't have to do this then he wouldn't have this 'me' time. And if it did turn out like he expected then he had better get used to a lifetime of these routines.

Yesterday had been very enjoyable. He had never seen Mustang lose his control like that and it more than made up for every slight and insult Ed had ever received from him. Ed frowned. Al had mentioned Mustang being injured but he'd never told him about the patch. Perhaps that patch had been the reason Mustang had seemed more human rather than the cold bastard he recalled so well. The old Mustang would never have let himself be swayed by words alone. And they had actually managed to be pleasantly civil to each other afterwards. Ed shrugged as brushed his hair into the long tail; that was probably because they had both grown up. After all, Mustang was over thirty now, wasn't he? Ed couldn't remember the exact number but he knew how much Mustang hated being called old.

Ed smirked as he left the bathroom, he was going to call Mustang old all day, just to get him back for that 'watch on display' comment. Ed had been all for breaking into the library last night and retrieving it until Al had told him that his watch was not there because it had disappeared four years ago.

* * *

Roy Mustang was seated at his desk and watching the clock slowly tick through each second. It was half past nine and the Elrics were due in half an hour. His desk was bare except for two folders.

He was feeling remarkably contented this morning. For the first time in a month he had slept soundly and had found himself actually whistling on his way to the office. Yesterday still brought a smile to his face. The Elrics were back and his life had suddenly become complicated. He didn't know why he was pleased about it but he was. Perhaps Havoc's "dull and boring' comment was closer to the truth than he had cared to acknowledge. Having an Edward Elric in your life automatically deleted 'boring' from it.

Mustang had once heard Edward speak of the night he and Al had attempted to bring their mother back and he had understood only too well how one moment or action could change everything. He had learned that lesson in Ishbal and he had re-learned it again on that night when Edward vanished and he fought Pride. It had taken him a while but he had managed to rebuild a semblance of what he had once been.

Yesterday had been one of those life-changing moments and all because a short mouthy blonde had slammed straight through every barrier and inner wall he had and he…damn she had done it with nothing but words. She had torn his carefully re-constructed life down and left him feeling… feeling what? Roy Mustang frowned.

Edward's return filled him with a strange euphoria. He couldn't remember feeling anything like it. The closest he could come to it would have been the time he had first seen Edward's eyes and had recognised the determination and force of will within the boy. Those eyes had touched a nerve in him and he had seen endless possibilities appear before him. And now, eight years later, golden eyes again had him seeing future paths unimagined before.

For four years he had kept everything at a distance, letting no-one close. He knew how he was regarded by the recruits and soldiers. The Ice General. He took a perverse enjoyment in the unofficial title they had bestowed upon him and that they would never dare to say to his face. He knew his staff worried about him, especially Riza and Jean, and it was only with them that he could be anywhere near what he used to be. But they had not been able to affect him as much as that mouthy blonde had yesterday.

Mustang smiled. Yes life was suddenly interesting again and he was going to enjoy every moment of it. And all because Edward Elric was back.

* * *

At ten o'clock a metallic hand collided with his door and slammed it open. Edward Elric had arrived. He smirked, with no automail foot he…she wasn't going to be able to kick his door down anymore.

"That is not good for the door, Edward." Mustang lectured.

"Or your arm, Sis," Al added as he followed her in.

Edward shrugged, tossed her coat over the rack and threw herself on the couch. "Admit it, old man, you just wish you could do that." She smirked as his lips twitched at her remark. One for me, she thought. She watched as he took a deep breath and consciously decide not to bite at her remark. He pointedly turned his attention to Alphonse and she grinned.

Ed settled into the couch and prepared to watch quietly. In the old days, she would have stood between them but now Al was capable of standing on his own feet. For four years he had managed without her and she didn't think he would appreciate an over-protective older brother right now. Although she kept a close eye on them both, ready to jump in if she deemed it necessary.

"Alphonse, we need to talk about your resignation." Mustang began in a calm voice. "Why did you resign?" Al sat in the chair in front of the desk and kept his eyes on the Brigadier-General.

"Because I couldn't involve the military in my activities, Sir. It would have been highly irregular of a Major to have been caught attempting that transmutation."

"The array was for retrieval purposes was it not?" Mustang half smiled.

"Yes Sir, but not completely. I designed the array not only to bring my brother back but also to bring him back complete and whole."

"So, are you saying that _technically_ the array was ethically illegal?" Mustang asked.

Al frowned. "Possibly Sir. Getting Ed's arm and leg back would be classed as human transmutation."

"But the array was designed _specifically_ to retrieve Edward? That was the main purpose?" Mustang questioned intently.

"Yes Sir." Al nodded. Ed smiled to herself. Mustang was no idiot, he could see the guilt in Al and was finding his own method to deal with it. Although Ed rather doubted that Al was too concerned with the ethical implications. Al was more upset with his calculations failing.

"I have a file I would like you to read." Mustang said and slid a folder across the desk. Al opened it and both Ed and Mustang caught his small gasp.

"So you do know something of this matter, Alphonse." Mustang kept his voice even. Ed sat up and tilted her head as she watched them. She saw a slight glint of unhappiness in Mustang's eye and Al was decidedly tense in his chair. She had no idea what was going on, but it involved her brother and that's all that mattered.

"Yes Sir." Al's voice was quieter than normal. He almost hunched into himself as if expecting the sky to fall upon him. Ed stood up, concern getting the better of her resolve to stay out of this.

"What did you do, Al?" Ed asked warily as she stepped closer to his chair. She didn't want Al to think she was interfering in his life. Al handed the report to her. Ed opened it and began to read. Some minor lab had been broken into and something stolen. And Al had been there. She didn't need to ask him, his reaction had already confirmed it. To both her and Mustang.

"Silicates?" Ed questioned, recognition in her tones.

"Yes." Al replied in a voice of acknowledgement.

"That would explain it I guess," Ed absently remarked referring back to the conversation Al had shied away from a few weeks ago. Mustang watched, aware that he was missing part of the conversation but unwilling to interrupt just yet.

Ed was still reading the report. "Silicon?" Ed frowned. "You wouldn't have needed much for the exchange ratios…" Her mind was flickering through equations and calculations. "You can buy silicon just about anywhere. So why…?"

"It wasn't the silicon, Sister. It was the other material." Al said slowly.

"Other material?" Ed looked at her brother. Al looked remarkably solemn. "What else did they have?"

"Red water."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much to all those who are keeping up with this. The chapters just keep getting longer. I was trying to keep them to about sixteen pages, but this one made it to nineteen and the next has already reached twenty.

And a small note to avoid any possible confusions. When Edward is completely alone he will use male pronouns, it's only when others are around that 'she' is there.

And I promise never to leave a chapter hanging like again…well, until the next time.

To the reviewers, as always, my many thanks. You make me smile:

**animecrazd **_(here's fireworks…lol)_

**Azalie-Kauriu **_(thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying)_

**Bar-Ohki **_(clever?...lol.. definitely fun…lol)_

**catwwomen47 **_(breathe, cw47, breathe…lol…I have weekly updates tattooed on my forehead, promise…lol)_

**cutiecat92 **_('whispering' I am ignoring parts of the movie…lol… updates will be weekly, and yes Ed is more than ok as you can see… and the rest would be telling…lol)_

**Dark-English-Rose**_(thank you, and Ed was enjoying it only just slightly less than I was I think...lol)_

**ehxhfdl14 **_(I know, it was cruel and bad of me, so I've put some science in the next chapter for you to critique)_

**FullMetal Neko **_(there's a lot more teasing between the two to come…lol… and yes, longer chapters they will be)_

**Glue Project **_(apologises again, but I just couldn't resist…lol)_

**HikaruNoJinkoku **_(thank you so much for the lovely comments…and yes it was very evil of me…lol)_

**Honor **_(thank you and more is here...lol)_

**Kawaii Chibi Shun **_(as long as I know people are enjoying this, then I'll keep writing it…lol)_

**marufu-chan **_(thank you very much)_

**MaryLover **_(thank you, and I hope you like my Roy as well…he may be a bit strange at times, I've given him a few dark moments, but I'll try not to let them overshadow him)_

**merichuel**_(Ed can never be too hard with Roy; it's what makes their worlds go round…lol)_

**Mini-Saphir**_ (thank you muchly)_

**nightflower2008**_ (weekly updates, I promise, weekly updates…lol)_

**N.James The Diehard Dishrag**_ (I am trying as hard as I can to keep them in character, I have a list starting with some things they wouldn't do/say but I wish they could…lol…maybe they'll appear somewhere else one day)_

**ProzacFairy **_(methinks Roy is already mad enough and it's not going to get any easier for the poor guy…lol)_

**Sinful Temptation**_ (lol... you can stop rocking now...lol)_

silken :)


	8. Old Habits, New Faces

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Old Habits, New Faces**

"Red water?" Ed's voice was dark as she froze. "No wonder it's not mentioned in here." She forced her fingers to relax as they threatened to tighten on the folder. Her little brother had been near red water? She was going to kill him as soon as she got him alone. And judging by his hunched over position it was what he was expecting. But she wasn't about to indulge him just yet, not with Mustang here. She focused back on the report.

"That would explain a lot." Mustang remarked. "The extra security and their reluctance to specify exactly what had been stolen."

"But why combine red water with silicates?" Ed tossed the report on the desk and then leant against it, her eyes half closed as she began to mutter. "And even if you ignore _why_ they would want to do that, there's a still a question of _how_. There are a lot of silica bases…the chain structure of the base…if you were thinking of the nesosilicates… molecular structure would be too dense …but perhaps … phyllosilicates would be softer and water can adhere to… but even then you'd need to…" Ed paused, having managed to side-track herself. "You know, I'm surprised the whole place was still standing, that would be a volatile combination. Red water can be so unstable…"

"Edward!" Al waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked.

"What, Al?"

Mustang was trying to hide his amusement. Edward was as single-minded as he remembered him…her to be. Mustang picked up the report again. At least he had some answers now although he was unsure of what he could do. The case was not within his jurisdiction although he would drop a quiet word in Intel's ear. But other than that he really couldn't do anything. As long as he could keep Al's involvement from being known, and he would definitely do that. He had forgotten about one thing. Edward.

"Stop it Sis. This is not the time to start theorising. In case it slipped your notice, I am a thief. I _stole_ from a State Laboratory." Al emphasised.

Ed sighed and looked at her brother. "And what do you want me to do about it, Al? We broke into lots of places when we were younger. All those libraries and Lab 5 and then there was…"

"Edward!" Al almost wailed.

Ed grinned at him. She knew what his problem was and her ignoring it was frustrating him. "I know Al, come on lighten up." She put her hands on the desk behind her and hopped up to sit on it. "It's honestly not as bad as you want it to be, Al. Just because you did this one on your own and without me pushing you into it, is no reason to start agonising over it."

Al had always had a moral streak within him and while he could ignore ethical boundaries sometimes, the moral ones were more deeply entrenched. The red water aside, Al was fretting more over the acts of breaking and entering and theft. Ed supposed it to follow on from Al's ingrained politeness and self-effacing manner. Their mother had always been gentle and caring of others and Al had taken those traits as his own.

"So, Al" she asked lightly. "How tight was the security?" Mustang blinked bemused by the careless tone and Al looked affronted. "The report said that it was a multilayered system requiring passkeys and visual checks." Ed looked at Al, her eyes bright. "So how did you do it?"

"It wasn't that hard," Al mumbled as he ducked his head. She knew her brother. He had been expecting a long lecture and general disapproval from everyone. He had been looking forward to it and it just wasn't happening.

"Alchemised yourself right through the walls did you?" She asked. As long as she kept him off balance she could distract his moral side from its path to self-flagellation. Later, she would talk to him about the red water. Oh yes, they were going to talk.

"For some of it, yes." Al kept his head down.

"Pretty impressive, Brother mine." Ed said sincerely.

"But Sis…" Al looked at her.

"I mean it, Al." Ed smiled at him. "Just you and your chalk and you managed to beat some tough-ass system? I'm proud of you. Do you think you could do it again?"

"What?" Al and Mustang both exclaimed at the same time. Edward looked from one to the other.

"Why so surprised? We have to get back in there and destroy it."

"Wait a minute, Fullmetal. This matter is not within my jurisdiction. This was sent to me unofficially."

"It doesn't matter, Mustang. Anyone dicking around with red water needs to be shut down. Somehow I can't see the military doing it, so we'll have to."

"Alphonse has already been seen in the area. If the military take any action, a direct correlation could be inferred." Mustang spoke dispassionately. "And you are forgetting, this is being treated as a minor matter. Apart from Alphonse's statement about the red water, the military has no knowledge of it."

"But they haven't actually linked him to the theft. It's just a note that he was in the area. And there must be other ways to confirm the red water there, without Al."

"And what would you suggest, Edward?" Mustang leant back in his chair.

"Well, they must be getting it from somewhere. Surely you can track deliveries and things. If they're actually manufacturing it there…Al figured out they had it there, I'm sure the military can do the same." Ed looked at Al who had been watching them. "You should've blown it up while you were there, Al."

"No, Sister. That's _your_ specialty." Al retorted.

"Yes, but if you had then we wouldn't have this problem now." Ed replied after pulling a face at him.

"You can't just go around blowing places up, Edward." Al stated firmly.

Ed sighed with exaggerated patience. "Al, 'blowing things up' is also a euphemism for 'covering your tracks'."

"Well, Edward, your history is testament to that fact, is it not?" Mustang drawled.

Ed's head whipped around. "At least I can see what I'm aiming at, old man." She hissed at him.

Mustang frowned and then leant forward, smirking. "I have a reputation for precision whereas yours is more…widespread, disastrously so I believe."

"You always were one for appearances." She said snidely as her eyes narrowed and she twisted sideways to face him.

"And you were always lacking…"

"Stop! Please." Al stood up, his voice loud. They both turned to look at him.

"What's the problem, Al?" Ed asked with surprise. It was highly unusual of Al to interrupt them. He usually treated their spats with an air of resigned patience.

"Can't you just leave it for once, Edward? This is not the time for your little games." There was a shadow in his grey eyes and his voice had a sombre edge.

"Oh okay, Al." Ed sighed and shared a quick glance with Mustang who seemed as disappointed and curious as she was at Al's interruption. "So when do we leave to take care of the Lab?"

"You'll do no such thing." Mustang commanded.

"Do you know how dangerous that stuff is, Mustang? Do you remember what happened in Xenotime? Do you remember how it was used on the people?" Ed flared up, sliding from the desk to stand and glare at him.

Mustang's face paled and his eye burned. He knew very well how dangerous red water was. He was very familiar with it being used on people. He had used it in its refined form. He placed his hands squarely on the desk as he felt the anger surging in him.

"Edward." Al's hand fell onto her shoulder and pulled her around. His face was strangely saddened. "We can't do anything. You're not a State Alchemist anymore. You're no longer a part of the military. Sister, you're dead. Officially, you don't exist."

Ed blanched. Al's voice was gentle but Ed was devastated. Even Mustang was brought up short. It wasn't that she had forgotten her circumstances but being back in Central, being back with old friends, with old ways had made her ignore those basic truths. Al's eyes were still shadowed as he kept his hand on her shoulder. Ed's hands were fisted at her sides and her eyes pained. For a minute she fought to stay calm, but then he spoke again and she froze at the obsessive overtone to his voice.

"And, my priorities lie with fixing my mistake and returning you back to normal. It's more important to me. You are more important to me Edward."

They stared at each other. All colour seemed to have left Edward, and Al's intensity glowed in his eyes. Ed was suddenly very aware of the fact that Al had traded a large part of his perceived guilt and given it over to determination.

Neither of them heard a knock at the door, nor saw Hawkeye when she appeared.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Sir, but there's a phone call for Alphonse. It's Miss Rockbell."

Al looked at Hawkeye and then at Ed who took a deep breath.

"You'd better take that, Al. You can't put her on hold." Ed's voice was strained.

"I'll be right back, Sis. I won't be long." He squeezed her shoulder and then hurried from the room. Hawkeye followed him after a quick exchange of silent communication with Mustang.

Roy Mustang looked at Edward. He still resented Edward for the accusations she had flung at him but he wasn't about to add to the tension he could sense. He could see how bereft she felt as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her head was lowered and her cheeks were still pale.

"He may have been a bit blunt, but your brother does have some valid points." Mustang said in a careful manner. He too had found it easy to slip into old habits. That euphoric feeling he had been aware of this morning faded slightly and he was once again aware of the differences between the Elrics. Edward all fire and flight, and Alphonse grounded and realistic.

"It's not that," Edward said slowly as she wandered across to the large windows and stood staring blindly out. "Well, not totally all that."

Mustang frowned, his mind running over Al's words and then his eye widened.

"You don't think it can be fixed!" Ed stayed silent but he saw her shoulders twitch. "You really don't." He repeated.

"He has to find that out for himself." Ed said absently. Ed had known Al was determined to fix his mistake, she hadn't realised exactly how determined until she had seen his eyes just then. His voice had resonated with it. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle this. When, no, if this did prove to be irreversible there was no way to predict how Al would react. She remembered how focused she had been during their search for the Stone. It was obvious that Al had been just as focused to bring her back and now even more so to return her to 'normal'. Ed suddenly wondered what 'normal' was but shrugged it aside. How much of Al's determination to rectify his mistake was being driven by his feelings of failure and blame? Ed didn't know and quite honestly at the moment she didn't want to know.

"And you know this?" Mustang queried. Ed had him worried, the words were almost disembodied as if Edward wasn't there anymore.

"I feel it. And I doubt anything the Gate does could be remedied so easily." Ed kept her arms wrapped around her.

"But you could be wrong?"

Ed sighed. "Possibly, but I don't think so." She was silent for a moment. She dug her fingers into her side and swallowed. For Al's sake she would beg. "Don't say anything to Al. Please?" She turned to look at him and he could see her eyes were troubled.

Tempted as he was to tease Ed mercilessly for saying 'please', Mustang found himself unable to do so. It didn't take a genius to see Edward was focused on Al and he had never stepped across that line. He stood up and walked over to stand beside her.

"I won't say anything, Edward. If you promise me you won't do anything rash about this red water business." Mustang looked down at Ed and she turned her head away to stare out the window again.

"Edward." He said sternly. "You can not get involved in this one. Promise me."

"Fine" Ed growled unhappily.

Mustang's eye narrowed and he turned to Ed, gripping her chin in his fingers and lifting her face to meet his eye. Golden eyes tried to avoid him.

"Edward." Mustang said slowly as he finally managed to get Edward to look at him. He saw the unwillingness in her eyes and he softened his voice. "Promise me. I will do all I can to get someone to act on Alphonse's information, but you have to stay out of it." He kept his eye fixed on hers.

Ed's eyelids flickered and her eyes became intent. "And you can promise that?"

"Yes." And she heard the conviction in his voice.

"Fine, _Bastard_." She was surprised by his smile as she accepted his terms.

"That's a good girl." Mustang smirked inside as he let his fingers slip from her chin to pat her cheek and then he sauntered back to his desk.

Her eyes widened. Her face flushed and she lifted her right arm, her hand fisting hard. That sneaky, manipulative, …bastard! She did need to lighten her mood, especially before Al returned. A part of her understood exactly what he was doing, but he didn't need to condescend to her with that pat on her cheek. She glared at him as he moved away and settled back into his chair.

"What did you just say, Bastard?" Her eyes narrowed and her voice took on a teasing sneer. "Sounds like something an old man would say."

"Old?" Mustang's face froze.

"Yeah, old and useless," Ed goaded, grinning at him.

"Your views carry little weight here, Edward." Mustang smirked. He was pleased to see the colour returning to his…her face.

"I have never needed public endorsement, Bastard."

"You just wish for it." Mustang studied his nails as he leant back in his chair.

"Like hell I do!" Ed protested and stalked across to stand at his desk. "I'm not the glory whore you are."

Mustang straightened up and glared at Edward, his voice rising. "Perhaps you would be more…"

"Perhaps I should return later," came an amused voice from the door. A grey-haired man in full military uniform was standing there.

Ed looked at the smiling man curiously. His face was softly lined and creased in a friendly expression. She got the impression of hidden strength behind that open smile. Tall, he carried himself with a calm authority and patience. She heard Mustang jump to his feet.

"Sir." He said politely as he saluted the newcomer. Ed's eyes flickered as she took note of the decorations and insignia.

"Ahh, you must be the Fuhrer.' She said, as she continued to appraise him. His grey hair belied his age. He was younger than she had first thought. She felt no embarrassment as she watched him study her in return. People had been staring at her since she was twelve. One side of her mouth twitched up.

"Fullmetal!" Mustang growled in warning.

"Fullmetal?" The Fuhrer questioned. "You must be Edward Elric then. I heard you were back."

"Yes Sir, that's me."

"And there was a small matter of a statue, I believe." The Fuhrer looked at Edward with a faint twinkle in his pale blue eyes.

"Yes Sir, but the bas…Brigadier-General's going to fix it I believe." Ed threw a smirk over her shoulder at the fuming Mustang. She could see his eyebrow twitching as he fought for control.

"You must come and have lunch with me. I have heard so much about you." The Fuhrer said with an easy charm. He was finding the interaction between the two of them intriguing and he was most curious to find out more.

"I wish I could say the same about you Sir, but they have not been as forthcoming on your achievements." Ed grinned easily and saw the twinkle deepen in the Fuhrer's eyes.

Mustang snarled in the politest manner he could manage. "Edward, perhaps we should…"

"I'm sure it can wait, Mustang. What's another day after four years?" Ed smirked and cheekily winked at him, knowing he would do nothing with the Fuhrer in the room. She was very tempted to lean across and pat his cheek, but she doubted even the Fuhrer's presence would save her from his anger if she did that. And to get away from here for a while would do her good. Otherwise she knew she'd be worrying about Al and she knew that their little talk did not need to be witnessed by any one else. It was usually safer that way.

Mustang had to slam his hands onto the desk to avoid strangling him…her.

"I've not seen the Brigadier-General so… enthused. You seem to have such a stimulating effect on the man." The Fuhrer said to her.

As they sauntered out of his office, Mustang heard Ed reply in a smug tone.

"It's a gift, Sir."

Roy Mustang fell back into his chair and dropped his head onto the desk with a loud thump.

* * *

Ed winked at the saluting Al and Hawkeye as they went through the outer office.

"Will be back here later" she mouthed to her brother and saw his accepting nod.

"I believe there's a dining room adjacent to my office and the food is slightly better than the mess hall." The Fuhrer remarked as they turned into the hallway.

"Anywhere is better than the mess hall Sir, although the stew on Mondays used to be good."

* * *

Al poked his head into the Brigadier-General's office and saw the man lean back in his chair with a sigh.

"Are you alright Sir," he asked.

"I'm fine, Alphonse." He smiled to himself. "I hope everything is okay with Miss Rockbell."

"Yes Sir." Al entered the office hesitantly and walked slowly to stand in front of Mustang's desk. "Umm, about what I said earlier, Sir."

"Edward knows you didn't say that to hurt him…her, Al. You and Edward will sort it out, I know you will. I don't think Ed thinks badly of you for what you said."

Al relaxed slightly. He knew the Brigadier-General was right. He had always been able to talk to Edward. They would work through this one. But the hurt look in his sister's eyes stayed with him. He felt he had been needlessly cruel. He should have realised how it must have felt to her to be back here. After all, he had been feeling much the same.

"But Sir, she'll still want to do something about the red water at that lab." Not to mention the discussion they were going to have as soon as they were alone. But that was not something Mustang or anyone could stop.

"Don't worry about it Alphonse. I promised your bro…sister that I would see that something be done about it in exchange for his…damn, her promise that she won't go and do it him…herself." Mustang groaned. "Tell me Al, how do you do it?"

"Do what Sir?"

"Not get confused by this sex change of Ed's. I'm finding it very frustrating." Roy Mustang ran his fingers across his forehead. "It gives me a headache."

"I don't think Sister minds which you use, Sir."

"She might not, but I do." Mustang looked at Al. "Exactly what did happen, Alphonse? Can you fix this?"

"Of course, Sir." Al looked at him, his jaw squared and his eyes determined.

"Alphonse." Mustang said, his voice almost warning.

"No, Sir. I will not accept that I can not fix this. I have no doubt that I can do it. It's my miscalculation, I will fix it."

"And Edward? What does…she say?"

Al's eyes flickered. "I have to fix this Sir."

"Even if it upsets Edward?"

"Ed will understand."

"But will she accept it, Alphonse?" Mustang watched Al closely. This is how he had sometimes behaved during his four year search. Letting his guilt and desperation get the better of him.

"Does Edward blame you for this?"

"No, Sir. We've…spoken about it a few times." And Al recalled the talk on the train and became aware that he was getting 'rabid' about it again. He sighed. "I just don't want my sister to suffer."

Mustang snorted. "Trust me Al, 'suffering' is the last thing that demon… sister of yours is doing. Judging from her performance yesterday and this morning, I think she's actually taking pleasure in the whole situation."

Al giggled. Yesterday had indeed been impressive. Being back here in Central with his extended family and with Ed at his side. It had been truly wonderful. Watching Edward tease the Brigadier-General had been an especial treat. Al couldn't recall the last time he had seen Mustang so lively and Ed had positively shone. The relationship between his sister and the Brigadier-General had always been one he had been unable to define. The mutual respect they had for each other was always buried under their verbal spats. Edward had been the only person Al had ever seen Mustang abandon his self-control with. And Ed had always done the same. For all their declarations of dislike there had always been a perverse honesty between them.

"I'm glad you find this amusing Al." Mustang smiled at the young man, pleased to see that he had managed to calm Al down. "Now, what are you going to need for your research?"

"I have all my notes Sir." Al said thoughtfully. "Library access means I can confirm a lot of my calculations and maybe the use of a discreet lab somewhere so I can run a few tests. Sister was telling us about some equipment she used on the other side which allows you to see very small particles. If Ed and I can fabricate one here, then we can be more specific in our research."

"Well, your watch will get you into the library but we'll have to organise something else for Edward. I'll see what I can do to get…her some form of permission or approval." Mustang considered his options. "It shouldn't be too difficult to obtain something temporary for…her. Lab access might be more difficult especially as we don't really want anyone to know what you are doing."

"Thank you Sir, that would be most helpful."

"We'll organise dorm space for you both I think as well. And I will want updates and progress reports." Mustang looked at Al who was nodding in agreement. "If you could write down what you saw at that Lab without being too specific as to how you actually got in, and also attach a page on how you knew there was red water there then I can use all of that when I send the report back."

"Yes Sir."

Mustang watched Al leave for the outer office and leant back in his chair. He didn't know when Ed would return from lunch with the Fuhrer and making Al write that report would keep him occupied for some time. Mustang smiled, life certainly was becoming more interesting. His mind went back and he recalled the look in Ed's eyes when he had called her 'a good girl.' He smirked. Maybe he had overdone it a bit with the pat to the cheek but it had been worth it and his fingers rubbed together as he remembered how soft her skin had felt. Mustang blinked and shook his head. Edward Elric wasn't soft, what was he thinking about?

He reached for the phone to begin making arrangements for dormitory space, conveniently ignoring the small pile of folders on the corner of his desk. Two minutes later Roy was speaking in his usual controlled manner, unaware of his fingers rubbing together again.

* * *

Edward Elric was enjoying her lunch with Fuhrer Sterben. The food was definitely better than the mess hall and the service had been polite and discreet. By the time they had reached the coffee stage each was pleasantly impressed with the other and both were sensing the beginnings of a solid friendship.

The Fuhrer was both intelligent and blessed with a sense of humour and Ed's retelling of yesterday's statue episode had made him laugh. Although the Fuhrer was not an alchemist and Ed not militarily savvy they had managed to find common ground and their conversation had been wide-ranging. Both had travelled extensively and both were well-read.

The Fuhrer swirled the dregs of his coffee in his cup and looked across the table at Edward.

"Roy Mustang."

Edward blinked. "…is a bastard?" She said confusedly and received a wide grin in return.

"He was very different today when I was there. That, I believe, was your doing."

"Mustang has always been like that, Sir." Ed smiled, recalling some of their more disruptive disputes. "We usually stopped before he flamed anything, or Hawkeye shot us."

"Maybe that was so before you disappeared Edward, but the Roy Mustang we have seen since then has been overly controlled, extremely polite and generally indifferent to those around him." The Fuhrer smiled slightly. "The news of his actions yesterday reached my office ten minutes after it occurred. That's how stunned everyone was. No-one knew he could react like that."

"But…he's the Flame Alchemist. How can yesterday be such a big deal with everyone? He's always been out there and flamboyant."

"Not for the last four years, Edward. Most of the people stationed here weren't around back then, they have never seen him do this and, like me, have only ever heard rumours of the great Flame Alchemist."

Ed frowned. "But he's just as I remember him to be. I know time changes people, has it really changed him that much?"

"Yes it has." The Fuhrer watched the golden eyes widen in surprise. He paused for a moment and considered his options. His slow blink hid the moment of decision from her. His voice became contemplative.

"Three years ago I found Roy Mustang in an abandoned office weeping. Apparently the office had belonged to his best friend who had died. I found out later that it was the second anniversary, I think, of his death."

"Hughes." Ed whispered, her voice catching.

"Yes. I never knew Maes Hughes although I have heard much about him. A bright, intelligent man who should never have died. Mustang was extremely drunk and shouting at the wall when I found him. I don't think he even knew he was crying. That was the first time I ever heard his voice raised. I've never heard it since. Until today."

Ed kept her eyes on the Fuhrer. She couldn't believe Mustang had broken down like that. Other people did that, but not Mustang. It was easier to imagine him cutting himself off from everyone and keeping everything held tight inside. She had done something similar on the other side of the Gate.

"He told me many things that night. Probably more than he should have and definitely more than he would have had he been anywhere near sober. But he needed someone to listen. I heard a lot about you and your brother. Yes," he nodded at her stricken look. "I do know what you did and how you tried to make it right. And I know what Mustang once aimed for and why. In vino veritas." The Fuhrer smiled wryly. "I promised myself that I would never get that drunk after seeing him like that. I don't think he even remembers any of it. But that was the most alive I had ever seen him."

Edward took a deep breath and shook her head. "I can't believe…"

The Fuhrer leant forward, placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together before resting his chin on them. Speculative pale blue eyes examined the blonde. He was not in the habit of telling secrets like this but the young woman before him was different. He had seen how _comfortable_ she and Mustang had been with their squabbling. He knew that she had been the catalyst for his spectacular tantrum yesterday and now he could see the concern she wore on her face and that he was almost sure she was unaware of.

The Fullmetal Alchemist. The Fuhrer had heard many stories of the blond youngster as he had moved through the ranks as had most of his contemporaries. Edward Elric had always been travelling and moving around, he had rarely had much to do with the military proper and the stories were that the then Colonel Mustang had had him on a long leash. The large suit of armour that had always been at his side had added to his mystique. None of the stories did justice to the blonde opposite him now. When he had listened to Mustang's drunken ramblings and had learnt the secret of the Elrics he had been sceptical of such character and purpose in a teenager. Now he understood because although the blonde before him was now female and calmer, he could see the strength and honesty that had never left her. That would never leave her.

He felt vindicated in himself that his earlier decision to reveal Mustang's history to Edward had been the correct choice. He could trust her not to say anything without having to say so. And the information would stay in her mind even as she tried to forget it and he knew she would try.

"Roy Mustang is a remarkably loyal person although I believe he would die before ever admitting it. When he finds something worthy of his respect he is totally committed to it, be it a person or an ideal. He expects loyalty in return for his loyalty, respect in return for his respect. I think that is why he was so broken that night I saw him. And, I think, that is also why he has been so self-controlled since you left, Edward." The Fuhrer paused and watched as Edward stared blankly at the flowered centrepiece of the table. She was obviously listening intently and he continued.

"I do not know how he reacted after the death of his friend but I think his desire for revenge gave him the motivation to keep going. When you disappeared and he received his injuries, he had no such motivations. He was in hospital for a month. Before the first week had passed he tried to resign. When that failed he applied for demotion and the most miserable outpost he could find. I have it on good authority that he was under a suicide watch for the next three weeks. No-one knows what made him change his mind, but when he left the hospital, he had two weeks leave and then went back to his office and started working again." The Fuhrer's voice went soft. "Your brother was probably the best thing for him. He actually began to smile sometimes. It was only after I found him that night that I realised just how much his behaviour had changed and that even your brother hadn't been able to break through that barrier he now carries. Out of everything he told me that night, the one impression I was left with is that Roy Mustang fears being betrayed again. Not by others, but by himself. He fears giving his loyalty and respect to anything or anyone because he mistrusts himself. He fears he will choose wrongly."

Edward shook her head in silent protest. No. Roy Mustang had always been the epitome of a self-confidence that bordered on arrogance. He had always had that air of supreme capability and the annoying habit of predicting trends and events. Damn, the man had been able to see around corners from ten feet away.

"So he keeps himself rigidly controlled. He may be the Flame Alchemist, but the soldiers call him the Ice General. He terrifies recruits and soldiers alike just by walking past. And they are loyal to him. Regardless of how he sees them, they see him as someone they can trust. But he won't acknowledge it. His staff are the only ones he's loyal to now."

The Fuhrer kept his eyes on Edward. Stunned was how he would have labelled her face. To him, it was yet another sign of just how much Roy Mustang had changed. The Fuhrer's eyes narrowed. Was that sadness in Edward's eyes? How interesting. The ties between those two were twisted indeed. A slow smile grew as he tilted his head to one side.

"But you. I don't know what it is, but you have gotten more out of him in less than twenty four hours than anyone else has in four years. I do hope you intend to stay in Central Edward Elric, because I foresee life will be very interesting, not only for Mustang but for the rest of us as well."

* * *

Edward Elric walked slowly on the way back to Mustang's office. They had spoken for a while longer until work had claimed the Fuhrer and Ed had left with his thoughts rather jumbled. Ed meandered down a corridor and came to a stop beside a large window.

Edward frowned at his reflection on the glass. The Fuhrer's revelations had completely thrown him. How was he going to stay angry at the arrogant bastard if he kept thinking of him blind drunk and weeping? And a suicide watch? Could that bastard have really been that depressed?

Ed banged his head against the window. Of course he could you idiot, he castigated himself. Didn't I do something nearly as stupid as that when I was on the other side? Remember that night, well I don't really because I was probably as drunk as Mustang had been. And when Alfons… died, I wasn't completely sane there for awhile either. Yes, but I'm not Mustang. He was the bane of my life, he manipulated me and gave me shit and was…was always watching out for us. Ed reached behind and grabbed his hair in frustration and tugged.

Damn the man. He wasn't supposed to be human. He was supposed to be just as I remember him. And damn the bloody Fuhrer for making me see this. He replayed part of their last words over in his mind.

"_We, the military that is, need Roy Mustang and all he stands for, Edward. I think your return is more than fortuitous and I would like your help." The Fuhrer had said._

"_My help? I don't see how I can be of any help. After four years…"_

"_Oh, I think you'd be perfect, Edward." He smiled and Edward couldn't miss the mischief in both the Fuhrer's voice and eyes. He made it sound like he was daring her. Ed raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side. She had never been able to back down from a dare. "Have I not treated you to an excellent lunch? Have I not told you Roy Mustang's history in a blatant attempt to get you to accept my proposal?" And there was sincere regret beneath his light words._

"_And here I thought you to be such a gentleman, Sir." Edward almost purred her acceptance as she responded to the questioning look on his face. _

"_And I you, Edward." The Fuhrer laughed. _

"_So, exactly what do you want me to do?"_

"_Re-enlist."_

Ed twisted his hair in his hand and puffed his breath out. He was in so much trouble. Again.

* * *

Al finished writing his report and Edward had not returned.

"The Fuhrer does like long lunches, Alphonse. I'm sure everything is fine." Hawkeye said when Al looked at the clock for the third time.

"I know Captain. I'm just being impatient. I want to start." Al sighed. Hawkeye smiled at him. Edward's return had brought colour to him, she noted. His eyes seemed much brighter and he was certainly more relaxed in his manner.

"Al!" The Brigadier-General called from his office.

"Yes Sir?" Al stood up with a small bow to Hawkeye before walking into the inner office.

"I have managed to arrange for a dormitory for you both. You can move into it today if you wish."

"Thank you Sir. Sister and I both appreciate it."

"Yes, well, that remains to be seen." Mustang smirked and Al smiled in response. "Given your particular situation, the room is the last double one in the men's dorms just before the female section. As you are the officer on record, it has to be there. Although it has its own bathroom, this at least gives…Edward access to the female facilities if …she needs it."

It had taken a considerable amount of patience and persuasion to have been able to arrange it. As always his reputation preceded him and they had been more than helpful once they understood just who he was and just exactly what was he wanted.

"If you like, I can organise Havoc to drive you to the hotel to collect your things." Al nodded, that would indeed make things easier. "Did you want to do it now?"

Al thought for a moment and nodded again. He'd only sit around here and fidget until his sister returned. It would be better to have something to do. And he knew they would let Ed know what he was doing. He looked at the clock again. Just how long did lunch take anyway?

* * *

Ed walked into the office and waved absently to Hawkeye and Falman as she kept going into Mustang's room. She fell onto the couch and closed her eyes, her forehead slightly wrinkled.

"I wonder if coming here was wise." She said slowly.

Mustang stopped writing mid-sentence and looked up with some surprise. "Edward?"

She frowned. "You will keep your promise won't you?"

"Of course, Edward, and you'll keep yours." Mustang replied, keeping the puzzlement he felt from his voice.

"How easy is this for you, Bastard?"

Mustang frowned. Edward was acting stranger than normal. Had something the Fuhrer said upset …her?

"How easy is what?"

"Me, being back." Her eyes opened and focused on the lines on the ceiling.

"It's not easy." Mustang leant back in his chair. He felt Ed was trying to find something but he had no idea what…she was looking for.

"You make it feel easy. It's unnatural." Ed groused. She stood up and walked to the window. She put her hand on the glass and tapped it. "Look at them down there. Marching and parading, knowing exactly where they are and what they're doing."

Roy Mustang pursed his lips and stood up. He moved around his desk to the other side of the window. He followed her gaze and saw the recruits counting cadence across the parade ground. He turned his eye on her. She was following their drill patterns with her eyes.

Roy Mustang watched her eyes move for a moment and then for the first time he really looked at Edward Elric. Slim and golden and female. The eyes, he had always been focusing on those eyes, he had been ignoring the face around them. No, he couldn't even claim that. He had been superimposing the old face onto the new. He had been visualising the Edward Elric he remembered best. The one who had been the bane of his life, who had made his life unpredictable, who had never once been afraid of him, who had never let him get away with anything.

This one didn't either. This one had stood up to him and called him on everything he stood for. The face was thinner, the chin he had gripped earlier was not as square and the lips that cursed and insulted him fuller and softer. The hair was much longer and more golden. Yesterday when she had taken off her coat he had been stunned at the sight of an undeniably female figure, but he hadn't accepted it as _Edward_. He had been too disorientated yesterday. Now his eye followed a defined line from shoulder to hip. Edward was a girl…no, young woman. Edward had curves and two flesh legs. He shook his head. He had heard the difference in her footsteps all day. No big heavy boots clumping through his office in a vain attempt to hide the heavier stomp from an automail leg.

The way her head tilted he could see the elegant line of her throat and her hair. Ed's braided hair had been like a random ray of sunlight caught at the back of his head. Now it was a golden river down …her back. Roy wondered how long Ed's hair was when it was loose. Why was he even thinking of Ed's hair he wondered.

He smiled wryly. Edward Elric made…no, was a very attractive female. Four years ago he would have automatically flirted and spun a web of charm around a blonde that looked as good as she did. Why was it so hard to see _her_? Why was it so hard to see _her _as just another blonde? Because this blonde _was _Edward Elric. Because there was more to this blonde than looks. There was character and strength of will and that damned stubbornness. Which she would need if this indeed was permanent. He recalled the serene acceptance in those eyes last night and he remembered the troubled look they had held earlier today. Ed could and would accept whatever the future held for her, but she would do anything to keep Al safe, even if it meant saving him from himself. But who would save Edward?

"Edward. There is a place here for you."

"I know."

"Then why does it make you... not happy?"

"It feels too easy."

Roy nodded. He could understand Ed's reasoning. Nothing had ever been easy for the Elrics. It wouldn't be Ed if she didn't mistrust it.

"And then today. Wanting to rush off and take care of that lab. To be what I used to be, to do what I used to do." Edward spoke in a low voice. "It's just that being back here, with you and the others, it's so much like being home."

"Edward, this place has been as much a home for you as it has for me." Ed lifted her head and turned to look at him in slight surprise. "Well, what did you think, Ed?" He smirked and she frowned at him.

"I always thought your home was the swamp you crawled out from, Mustang." Ed retorted but he could see she was thinking on what he had said and there was very little sting in her voice.

Ed placed her gloved hands on the window. "When I first came back, it was wonderful. To see Al, to see Winry and Granny. I had missed them all so much. And when I returned it was almost like I had never gone. And here too, everyone is here. After seeing only shadows for four years, this is like a perfect dream." Ed looked past her fingers, her eyes distant. "It was so easy to slip into old habits. Stupid idiot that I am. So easy to pretend that nothing had changed." Ed laughed softly and Mustang could hear the self-reproach in it. "And I had the nerve to lecture Al on how change is a part of life. I didn't even listen to myself."

Roy took a step closer to her. "Listen to me Edward Elric. I don't think you foolish and I don't believe Al would either. After four years away I'd be surprised if you didn't try to find reassurance in the old ways. You, and Al, were and still are part of our family." He kept his eye on her face. "And you have changed, you have grown up. But I know you, you will go forward. No matter what happens or what comes at you, you will always go forward. It's what I have always admired about you."

"Careful Bastard, someone might think you actually had a heart if they heard you talking like that." She turned her head to look at him. "Going forward is easier when you have a goal or a purpose. I can go forward but where to?"

He laughed and saw a look of surprise cross her face. "I don't think you need worry, Edward. You will always find somewhere. As far as I can see you are never going to change where it matters." She raised her eyebrow at him as he reached across and tapped her forehead and then her sternum just below her throat with his finger. "What you think and what you feel will always be what the rest of us can only wish for."

Edward blinked, a slightly puzzled expression in her wide eyes. She tilted her head as if examining a strange new specimen. Roy Mustang was not someone she would have ever imagined saying words like that, especially to her. The bastard sounded…human. Damn there was _that_ word again. Edward could have sworn this to be how a conversation should go, except that the other 'conversee' was Roy Mustang, bastard-extraordinaire. It was…unnatural.

"Uhh, did you get that off the back of a packet somewhere, Bastard?"

"No, it was part of your eulogy." Mustang smirked, and Ed's world was right back where it should be. She grinned, her flesh hand unconsciously rubbing where his finger had poked her.

Hawkeye entered with a folder in her hand.

"This just arrived from the Fuhrer's office, Sir. Apparently it contains the forms needed to make Edward …alive again." She looked at them. They had equal expressions of surprise on their faces. Edward blinked. The Fuhrer had said he would put things in motion but she hadn't expected anything this soon.

"I'm told they only require your signature, Sir as the Fuhrer has already authorised them."

Mustang looked at Ed who smirked and shrugged.

"It was a nice lunch."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reading and putting up with the slow pace of this. These chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I apologise for all the dialogue and more in the next chapter. I just hope it's not slowing you down too much. Trust me, it does get less verbal later.

To my wonderful, lovely reviewers, I am always so appreciative of you. You make me smile:

**animecrazd **_(thank you for the comprehensive review, feedback like that is so helpful)_

**Bar-Ohki**_(I think Al needs to do more illegal things…lol)_

**catwwomen47 **_(I guess that means you liked this one…lol)_

**Dark-English-Rose **_(I try to keep to weekly updates for this one…lol…and I like the little moments, they are what make things fun)_

**ehxhfdl14**_(and more science for you…I don't think the combination would be as volatile as Ed thinks, but I needed that implication... literary license…lol)_

**FullMetal Neko **_(lol…I have the miniskirt under advisement…lol… and I'll put in clothing descriptions, I didn't realise I'd been lax in that department, I just keep seeing Ed in jeans and long sleeved shirts…lol…hmmm, yearly updates? I'd never thought of them before…lol)_

**Glue Project** _(hope you managed to make your outfit in time…lol)_

**Hysteria82 **_(thank you... and no, I didn't know about the anon review thingy, so thanks for telling me that) _

**Kawaii Chibi Shun **_(hey, I'll write for as long as you review…lol…but seriously I'm glad you're enjoying it)_

**Keeper of the Times **_(lol…I'm writing it as fast as I can…lol)_

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silken :)


	9. Arrangements

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Arrangements**

Hawkeye opened the folder and began to study the enclosed paperwork. She stopped at one page and held it up.

"This is an application for the State Alchemy exams." She said, unable to completely conceal the surprise in her voice.

Mustang reached over and took it from her hand while Ed grinned and waited. She had a fair idea of what was in that folder and the entrance papers were the least of it.

"You're taking the exam?"

"Of course Bastard. After all this time I need re-certification. I _have_ missed the last four annual assessments."

Hawkeye spluttered and Mustang whirled around to look at the Captain. Hawkeye never made noises like that. Her sherry eyes were wide as she stared at a sheet of paper. She handed it to him silently and watched as his face went completely blank.

"Perhaps you can explain this, Edward." Mustang's voice was expressionless. Whatever was going on inside of him, he was not going to let any of it out.

Ed glanced at the page and sighed theatrically. "It looks pretty straightforward to me, Mustang." She arched her back and stretched slightly. "By the way, where's Al?"

"Edward." Mustang's voice was hard.

"Which bit are you having trouble understanding, Bastard?" Ed stepped up beside him and ran her finger under one sentence. "It's just my re-enlistment posting. See, those words say I am to be given the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel when I pass the exam." The paper shook and Ed placed her finger under another sentence. "And those words say I will be assigned to your command. Now, where's Al?"

Mustang was unable to respond and it was Hawkeye who replied.

"He's with Captain Havoc. They are moving your belongings from the hotel into a dorm room. The Brigadier-General arranged it earlier." Hawkeye had regained her composure and continued. "They should be back soon."

"That's great. I'll just crash on the couch until then." Ed smiled at her and slipped around Mustang to stretch out on the couch with a relaxed sigh.

"Why are you being assigned to me?" Mustang asked in a tightly controlled voice.

"So Al and I can do our research without interference." Ed said casually. "And he said you needed extra staff."

"I do not need extra staff." It was an automatic response. Mustang had worked hard to keep his team together and he considered his office to be complete. He had managed to avoid having anyone else seconded to his staff for the last twelve months.

"With Al's resigning, you will. All you're doing is exchanging one Elric for another." Ed smirked. "You did it when I left and this is just a return to the status quo."

Mustang took a deep breath and held it before letting it out slowly. He could feel his control on his world slipping slightly and it made him feel unbalanced. The Fuhrer might have been the originator of this but Edward was the catalyst, he was sure of it.

"Besides, if you read further you'll see that it is only for the next two months, Mustang." Ed said from the couch. "With Al and I at the library most of the time you'll never know we're here."

"What will you do after that Edward? The minimum length of service is a year." Hawkeye asked.

"Depending on what happens when the research is finished, I can either stay here or the Fuhrer has offered me a position on his staff. I can serve the remainder of my time there, if the bastard still doesn't need extra staff." Edward laughed. Neither she nor Hawkeye saw the frown that crossed Mustang's face.

"Lunch seems to be have been rather comprehensive, Edward." Mustang said slowly as he read the paper again. He walked to his desk and picked up his pen. Hawkeye placed the rest of the papers in front of him and he began to sign them.

"It was." Edward replied. "The Fuhrer is an interesting man." She said contemplatively.

"Yes, he is." Mustang responded absently. "He's been instrumental in keeping the country stable and managed to secure our borders without relying on excessive military force." Which both Ed and Hawkeye understood to really mean 'without sending in alchemists to perform wholesale slaughter'.

"He's very diplomatic and he seems a most trustworthy man." Hawkeye added.

"He's certainly friendly enough. I think I like him." Ed said consideringly. "He's intelligent and understated with it. I don't think I'd mind working with him at all. He's not quite what I thought a Fuhrer would be."

"Yes, he has been a bit unorthodox but he has managed to give the military back its self-respect _and_ done so without alienating the people in the process. For all his friendliness though, he knows how to apply force when it's required." Hawkeye remarked.

"How did he get to be Fuhrer?"

"When Fuhrer Bradley…died, there were a few candidates. He was a General in the Western Districts back then and his support base was stronger than those who wanted General Hakuro to take control. After he gained command there was a mass cleaning out of a lot of hardliners. They were given the choice of staying and playing to his rules, or resigning. Some stayed, most resigned. Those that did not keep to his rules and tried to incite trouble were executed."

"Whoa. Really?" Edward's eyes went wide.

"Yes, Edward. As I said, he knows how and when to apply force. There is a great deal of character to our Fuhrer."

Edward sat stunned. She had known when she had first seen him that there was strength behind the friendly face. But this. She tried to picture the smiling man she had seen at lunch giving the orders for an execution and couldn't make the images fit. If she did choose to serve those eight months of her term on his staff, it could be very interesting.

"If you fail the exam most of these orders will be useless, Edward." Mustang remarked as he signed another form.

"I passed it before."

"Passed what, Sis?" Al asked from the doorway.

"The State Alchemy exam." Mustang said before Ed could reply.

"You're not taking the exam?" Al exclaimed as he hurried in to stare down at her on the couch. Ed sat up after glaring at the Brigadier-General.

"Yes, I am Al." Ed looked at her brother and smiled. "Then we'll both have access to the libraries."

"But you can't!" Al objected.

"Why not Al?" Ed looked at her brother. "And please, don't tell me that I'm dead again. That's being taken care of and there's no reason for me not to sit the exam."

"But Edward… what about afterwards?" Al protested. He felt like he was losing his sister. She was moving forward before he had even fixed his mistake.

"Alphonse." Ed left the couch to stand in front of him. She studied his face and saw some of his uncertainty. "It will be fine, you'll see. Two months of both of us researching and then we'll both return to Resembool. Just as we planned. Nothing will change that."

Al was silent. He remembered their conversation from a few weeks ago. He had known then that Ed would not settle in Resembool but he hadn't expected her to rejoin the military. To travel around, yes. To maybe find a research position, yes. But not the military.

"Why, Sister?"

"Because this way we can do it together, Al. And because… I need to do this."

They looked at each other in silence for a moment. Edward's eyes remained determined as Al slowly accepted Ed's decision. Edward hated to see her brother upset and she regretted the hurt she caused. But she wasn't about to change her mind and he knew it. Al sighed.

"I am so going to beat the stuffing out of you in two months, Sister."

Ed laughed and flicked her fist across his arm as she moved to sit back down on the couch. "You wish, Brother."

"You'll need to study. The new dorm seems to be in a quiet spot so there shouldn't be any distractions. And I can get notes from the library for you." Al began to make plans. "I'll get Winry to send my old notes here. You can use them."

"It will be very interesting if you failed the exam, Edward." Mustang solemnly repeated.

"She won't fail, Sir." Al said quickly. "Just think Sis, you'll be the first female State Alchemist."

"Don't be silly, Al." Ed laughed. "There are plenty of female alchemists. After all, the greatest alchemist we ever knew was Teacher."

"Yes, but not State Certified ones, Sis." Al looked at her. "All the female alchemists we know are not certified."

"I believe Alphonse is correct, Edward." Hawkeye frowned as she tried to recall any female State Alchemists. Like Al she could only think of male ones.

"There has to have been some at some time," Ed protested. "There's nothing stopping them and most of the women we met that did alchemy were very talented with it."

"I think being classed as a 'dog of the military' would have dissuaded them from applying Edward. If I recall that was your favourite expression when you first enlisted." Mustang said.

"But why have none applied since then though? Al told me the State Alchemists have some autonomy now." Edward frowned at him.

"Because it is still seen as military service, Edward." Mustang replied. "If they pass, it's a mandatory twelve months of service. The military still wants to keep a check on the country's alchemists just in case. Only after that do they have choices. They can either stay with the military or accept a contract from a State Lab or other research facility. Some would probably even decide to go no further and let their accreditation lapse."

"Why would anyone do that?" Ed looked rather stunned. After Al, alchemy was the closest thing to her heart. She couldn't imagine willingly letting it slip by for anything. Four years without it had been a torture she never wanted to experience again. And being part of a team and able to use her alchemy was perhaps the most satisfying thing she could think of.

"Not everyone is an alchemy freak like you Sis." Al smiled and Ed grinned back at him at hearing that expression.

"Well, I think it's just over a week or so away so I should have plenty of time to revise what I need. The exam can't have changed that much."

"No, it's still the same. Written, interview and practical." Al replied. He blinked at a sudden thought. "You'll get a new title too. I wonder what you'll be called now?"

"Fullmetal of course, Al." Ed said with a shrug. "What else?"

"You can't just be Fullmetal again, Sis."

"Yes I can, Al." Ed looked at him. "It's a condition of my re-enlistment. When I pass…"

"If." Mustang said blandly without pausing in his reading.

"_When_ I pass, I get my title back and a promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel." Ed smirked.

"But why Sis? Why not take a new name and let Fullmetal stay in the past?" Al was baffled.

"Because Fullmetal isn't dead, Al. I'm not in the past and it's too big a part of me to let it go. I'm sorry but I refuse to be the…" Ed waved her hands in the air. "the … _Golden_ _Flowery Alchemist_. I'm sorry Brother, I can't do that. I was… I _am_ the Fullmetal Alchemist. It means I'm home, Al whenever I hear it. That I'm back, that I'm really, really back." Her voice dropped slightly at her last words and Al closed his eyes briefly, silently berating himself for his stupidity in not seeing what it meant to her. He recalled the earlier hurt expression in her eyes. Ed wanted all the reassurances she could find and hold. It made Al realise just how much his sister had missed being here with them… with him.

Al moved and sat next to her on the couch and pulled her into a sudden hug. Ed's eyes widened but she smiled and hugged him back.

"You idiot, Al." She whispered. And Al heard the 'Brother' she didn't say.

"Only two years back pay, Edward?" Mustang asked as he initialled the relevant page.

"Yeah, we thought it a reasonable compromise." Ed looked over Al's shoulder at the Brigadier-General. "And the promotion would be about commensurate with if I'd remained here for the last four years."

"We?" Al asked as he let go of Edward and sat straighter on the couch.

"Yes, the Fuhrer and me. He's a good guy, I think you'd get on well with him, Al."

Al looked at his sister curiously. She seemed rather relaxed. He remembered his harsh words earlier and still felt remorse at having said them. But Ed seemed to have recovered from her shock and had begun to look forward. Not that his sister ever looked back, but she had certainly regained her emotional equilibrium rather quickly. Al had met the Fuhrer on several occasions but had never had much to do with him and they had barely exchanged more than a few sentences. Obviously Edward and the Fuhrer had done much more than that. And whatever the conversation had covered it had helped his sister recover. Making arrangements for your own resurrection was probably just what Ed had needed.

Ed stretched and watched Mustang sign a page before closing the folder.

"I think that's it." He said as he passed it Hawkeye. "But you have to pass the exam, Edward." He smirked at her and she 'pfft'-ed in response.

"I'll pass, Mustang. Not a problem." Ed leant back in the couch looking confident.

Al looked from one to the other and exchanged a quick glance with Hawkeye. She nodded slightly. They recognised the start of another round of Ed-baiting and Mustang-bashing. Al stood up abruptly.

"Come on Sis, let me show you our new dorm and get you set up for study." He said hurriedly. Ed looked at him and quirked her eyebrow. She knew what he was doing and she smiled.

"Okay, Al. We can let it slide this one time, can't we Bastard?" Ed smirked at Mustang as she stood up and went to the rack to grab her coat.

Roy Mustang caught the glint in Hawkeye's eyes and nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't want to delay your return to alchemic glory, Full_…petal_." He smirked, unable to resist.

Edward was halfway across Mustang's desk before Al could grab her collar and he nearly choked his sister when he pulled her back hard. Edward's vocabulary and decibel level was impressive as was the large scar on Mustang's desk from her automail blade.

Mustang had his gloves half on and ready to snap when Hawkeye's bullet actually grazed his ear. His shout of 'self defence' went unheeded as she aimed at him again. Her second bullet ruffled his hair when he began to demand Edward repair his desk and pay for the damages.

Edward struggled in her brother's grip and resorted to swearing loudly in German at Mustang. He ignored the warm muzzle of Hawkeye's gun at the side of his head and retaliated by swearing back just as loudly in Xingalese.

Havoc and Breda were laughing in the doorway while Falman and Fuery shared a grin and kept on working.

* * *

The office of General Lin had never heard noises like the ones that suddenly arose in the sedate office of Brigadier-General Mustang. A secretary who was despatched next door to enquire returned rather abruptly looking pale and trembling. Her report of the language and events in progress had the General ringing the Fuhrer's office and submitting a request to have his office re-allocated… somewhere…anywhere.

* * *

Edward looked around the shared dormitory and smiled. Military dormitories were the same everywhere. Small and poky but at least this time Al wasn't a large suit of armour and that made the room seem much larger. The living area had an uncomfortable looking couch and a sagging chair against one wall. A desk and bookcase stood against the other side between two doors. A window with a small sink and what could be loosely called a kitchenette were opposite the main door. Two single beds were behind one door and Ed could see her suitcases piled on one of the beds. The small bathroom behind the other door was much appreciated. They had always managed to get a dorm with one simply because of Ed's automail. She had never wanted to use the communal facilities and have people staring at the scars and the automail. Al explained that she was now able to access the female bathroom if she needed to and gave her a key which unlocked the door between the two areas.

Ed shrugged. "I can just alchemise the lock if I need to, Al. And we can work out a roster for our room anyway."

"You do take much longer than you used to Sister."

"I know." Ed looked into the cupboard beneath the single hotplate on the bench. "This female thing is awkward at times that's for sure. Hmmm, we need to get a coffeepot. And cups and a toaster too, I think."

"Well, first things first as Granny would say," Ed said as she went across to the couch. She clapped and placed her hands on the couch and then the chair and although neither piece of furniture was elegant or stylish, they certainly appeared much more comfortable.

Ed flopped onto the couch and smiled. "Yes, definitely much better."

Al looked at the desk and bookcase. "At least there's space for you to study, Sister. We'll have to eat at the Mess hall tonight and get some food in tomorrow."

"First things first, Alphonse." Ed's voice was deliberate. Al turned around and met his sister's intent stare.

"The red water."

"I thought you weren't going to the lab…"

"I'm not. I promised that bastard I wouldn't. This is not about that. This is about you going anywhere near that damned stuff." Ed remained on the couch and kept her voice low but Al could see the anger in her eyes. She was trying to stay calm and Al was well aware of that. He had known this was coming all day. No recriminations but definitely answers.

"Sister…"

"You know how dangerous it is, Al. You know how it's made. How could you even think to use it?"

"Edward… I didn't…"

"This is why you were so nervous about coming to Central, wasn't it? This is why you were so reluctant to leave Resembool. This is why half your research notes are missing!" Ed sat up.

"You…know that?" Al looked stunned.

"Of course I know that. I'm not stupid, Al. I've been reading your notes and journals for the past month so it's hardly surprising I would realise that the material lists and formulae weren't there. You deliberately left them out."

"Yes." Al hung his head briefly then lifted his chin. "I had to, Sister. I didn't want you to know what I did."

"For how long did you think you could hide it Al? It would be the first thing to check when we hit the library. Not to mention the whole stealing thing sort of blew any hope of keeping it a secret from everyone else."

"How else was I to get it? I know how it's made just as well as you do and neither of us would ever make our own."

"So you think that just because someone else made it, that justifies you using it?"

"I didn't use it, Edward!" Al glared at her.

Ed blinked and stood up. "You didn't use it?" She repeated and her voice began to rise. "Then why the hell would you _steal_ it?"

"I thought it might help."

"You _thought_? It doesn't sound like you were doing any thinking at all Al! Nothing is worth using that stuff for!"

"Even bringing you back, Edward?"

Ed stopped. Al was looking at her with his grey eyes burning.

"You said you were happy to be back here, Sister. You said that as long as we were together nothing else mattered. You said that even being female didn't matter. You said you were proud of me."

Ed felt as if Al had punched her straight through the heart. She had indeed said all of those things and she had meant them. She still meant them.

"Are you doubting what I said Brother?" Ed said, her voice quiet and small.

"No, I'm doubting that you're listening to what I'm saying." Al was not letting up. "Bringing you back was everything I worked for. I would have used _anything_ to succeed. Even red water. But I didn't use it. I …couldn't. Maybe if I had you wouldn't be female."

"I'd rather be female than have you use it."

They stood in a heavy silence.

Ed looked at her brother. She could see his determination and strength. She saw his stubbornness. He had made his own decisions and his own mistakes. They both had but they had never let the recriminations get the better of them. Ed half wished they could go and spar or start an alchemy battle. Physical interactions had always worked better than talking. Ed was not about to apologise for her words and she knew Al wasn't expecting it. And she knew that Al would not be apologising for his. Neither of them was going to take back anything.

"How did you know they had red water there?" Ed asked carefully, keeping her voice level.

"Hughes had a list of scientists who died or disappeared after the Lab 5 incident, remember?" Ed nodded. "I found the same surnames on a treatise on silicates and it had been funded by that lab S14, so I went to look." Al replied just as carefully.

"You remembered their names?" Ed was rather surprised.

"I was going through a memorise everything stage." Al said calmly.

Both fell silent again. They recalled that time and Ed knew exactly why Al had been memorising everything. Edward closed her eyes briefly.

"Aren't you going to ask, Sister?"

"No. I don't need to." Ed looked at Al and gave him a small sad smile. "I know why you didn't use it Al. After all, I couldn't use it in Lab 5 for the same reason."

Ed saw Al's shoulders ease and tilted her head, studying her brother. She hadn't realised their confrontation had made him that tense. They rarely disagreed but when they did they always knew that they would never be judged on what they did. But then they'd never come as close to judging each other as they had today.

They both sighed at the same time and matching wry grins crossed their faces which became laughter on Ed's part when Al's stomach rumbled loudly.

"I didn't get a long lunch like you did, Sister." Al protested, blushing even as he started laughing too. The tension eased further and they smiled at each other.

"Then let's get you to the mess hall." Ed said as she grabbed her coat and slung it around her shoulders. "What do they have on the menu?"

"They usually have fish tonight." Al replied as he followed her out of the room.

"Better than nothing I guess." Ed knew they still had more to discuss but she was willing to let it wait until after her brother was fed.

* * *

There was a small queue at the mess hall so Ed and Al grabbed their trays and waited in the line. Al could see a few soldiers looking at Ed and he wondered how long it would take for Ed to notice. They inched their way along with the rest of the line and soon found themselves filling their trays with the fish and vegetables from the bains-marie.

"Hey Al! Ed!"

They both looked around and smiled as they saw Breda waving at them. Al lifted his hand in acknowledgement and as soon as they had finished they made their way towards him. More soldiers followed their movements. Some of them recognised Al and the whisper started that the blonde with him was the one who had taken on the Ice General yesterday. The fact that they were known to two of the Brigadier-General's staff seemed to prove it.

Fuery and Breda were half way through their meal judging by their trays and Ed and Al sat down beside them.

"How's it going so far, Ed?" Breda asked.

"Just like being home, Breda." Ed smiled.

"You are home, Ed. We're all glad you're back." Fuery said.

"So is Mustang." Breda laughed. "The office hasn't been this lively for years."

"When are you coming back into the office, Edward?" Fuery asked.

"Not sure. Al and I have a lot of research to get done." Ed mumbled around a mouthful of fish.

"No, I meant to work. You are coming back to us aren't you?" Fuery asked, his eyes almost pleading behind his glasses.

Ed and Al exchanged a quick glance before they looked at Fuery.

"What's with you, Kain?" Breda sounded surprised.

"We need Ed back with us. He's a part of our team as much as you or I are. Surely you can see that Breda?" Fuery said earnestly, forgetting Ed's gender change in his desire to get his point across.

"It won't be like the old days Fuery." Ed said in a puzzled tone.

"I know that Ed. I don't want a return to the old days." Fuery tried to explain to them all. "What I am saying is that you being back makes us complete." He paused and looked at their faces. "I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"Not really, Fuery." Ed grinned at him and shrugged. "But it's ok." Ed looked at her brother and raised her eyebrow. Al sighed and nodded in return. Ed smirked at him.

"And Fuery, yes, I will be coming back to the office. After the Alchemy exams."

"Really?" Fuery looked very pleased and even Breda grinned widely.

"If you pass, Sister."

"Don't you start, Al. It's bad enough with that bastard doing it." Ed frowned and waved her fork at her brother. "Besides someone's got to replace you when you leave."

"Leave? Al?" Breda gaped and Fuery looked stunned.

"Oh yes." Ed said casually.

"Sister." Al said menacingly.

"His resignation comes into effect in a couple of months." Ed continued on blithely, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Edward." Al's voice dropped lower.

"Winry's waiting for him as well." Ed speared another piece of fish with her fork.

"That does it!" Al could draw circles faster than anyone else and Al had perfected a simple array that belied its strength. In three seconds he had the circle drawn and the bright blue flash had Ed flipping backwards in her chair to avoid the large hand that sprang from the table top.

As she fell she clapped and hit the ground causing the chair Al was on to wrap around his legs.

"What the hell are you playing at, Al?" She spluttered as she began to get up. She rolled to the side to avoid the spike shooting out of the floor. A quick clap had the table shifting to trap Al's arms. But he only needed one hand and another quick array had the table breaking apart.

Breda and Fuery quickly grabbed their trays and began to move away, finding a table to perch on and continued to watch the show. The soldiers closest to them looked startled and began to move away rather quickly.

"Stop it, Al." Ed said as she clapped and sent a large hand to trap her brother. It missed him as he fell backwards, chair and all. Another clap had him sinking into the floor.

She walked over to him and sat down beside him.

"Feel better?" She asked, smiling at him and saw his smile in return.

"Truce." He replied.

"Agreed," and she clapped and freed him from the floor.

"I am so glad you two managed to solve your differences without my involvement." They turned and Hawkeye was standing there looking rather stern, her gun drawn and held at her side. They both cheekily grinned at her and she had to hold back a laugh.

"Don't worry Hawkeye. We'll fix the mess up even before you ask us to." Ed smirked slightly as she righted one of the chairs.

"I wasn't going to ask, Edward. I was going to _tell_ you to do that." Her eyes were smiling as she kept up her stern façade.

Breda and Fuery came over. "You spoilt all the fun, Hawkeye." They said.

"Rather me than the Brigadier-General. If he had come down here I doubt there'd be a mess hall anymore."

"Yes, that's true." Fuery nodded as Al fixed the table and Ed put the floor to rights.

"Do I need to know what started it?" Hawkeye asked lightly looking from one face to the other. The Elrics shook their heads after a quick look.

"Al's resignation, I think. The Brigadier-General's not going to accept it though, is he?" Fuery burst out.

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. "That's up to the Brigadier-General and Alphonse, Fuery." She said calmly.

Ed had seated herself back at the table and managed to salvage the remains of their dinners. A quick clap and she reheated the trays. She passed Al's tray to him and tilted her head towards Fuery and flickered her eyes. Al rolled his in reply and she frowned at him. He glowered at her and her eyes narrowed in response. He sighed and grimaced at her and she smiled at him.

"Fuery, it is true, I am resigning. In two months." Al said.

"But why?" Fuery asked.

"Because I've done what I set out to do. You know why I joined in the first place. Ed's back now and she'll be here." Al looked at Fuery and Breda. "Besides, I'm not leaving tomorrow. It's two months away yet."

Ed watched them, her golden eyes scanning her brother. He was better now. Their little skirmish had removed the last of his tension. They'd be able to discuss the red water again without either of them getting caught up in the emotional backlash.

Hawkeye was watching as well. She saw the depths in Ed's eyes and realised that Edward had done more than just grow up. Somewhere along the line she had found a maturity way beyond her years. Now for the first time as she saw the Elrics together she didn't see them as one unit. They were individuals in their own right even when they were together. When she had first met them, their togetherness had been a palpable thing. You could not see one Elric without the other. When Edward had disappeared, she had still seen Al as part of 'the Elrics'. But now she saw how much they had both changed. She suspected that was why Fuery was looking so upset. He was sensing the same changes and it was unnerving him. Breda and Falman were more pragmatic while Fuery had always been more sensitive.

The mess hall had settled back down and the area around their table remained vacant as the other soldiers gave them a wide berth. They had all seen the alchemic reactions and none of them had any wish to get caught in the middle of another dispute. Captain Hawkeye was a deterrent as well. Her marksmanship skills and rating were well known and no-one ever got in her way. They were all relieved when the five of them left and they could gossip without fear.

* * *

Ed and Al spent the rest of the evening settling their things around their room. Al went down to the front offices and phoned Winry to request his journals and notes and she had reacted loudly when he had told her why. He had to promise her that he would get Ed to call her as soon as she could.

Ed just laughed when Al told her of Winry's reaction and said that she'd ring tomorrow.

The book shelves began to fill up as Al put his notes and journals on them. They made a list of the books they thought Ed would need to revise before the exam and drew up a tentative study plan. Which boiled down to Ed reading for roughly sixteen hours each day.

"That seems a bit extreme, Sister." Al said after he looked at it again.

"Not really, Al. After all, it's not like I can do anything else, can I?" She grinned. "Until I pass I'm here on sufferance, I have no real official status. I can get us some supplies occasionally which will give me a break."

"What if you do fail?"

"Do not start that Al. We've both passed it. I know what to expect. If anything the hardest part this time will be the interview." Ed paused and leant back in her chair. "Last time I knew why I was enlisting. This time my reasons aren't so clear cut."

"I'm sure you'll pass, Sister. I'll be there for you."

"I know you will Al." Ed smiled at him. "You've always been here for me."

"And you're always here for me." Al replied.

* * *

Brotherly love fell by the wayside when Ed woke the next morning and felt the need to smother her snoring brother. She silently groaned in recognition and crawled down her bed to reach over the foot of it for her suitcase. There she checked the small calendar Granny had so thoughtfully given her. Ed cursed under her breath. Great, cycle time.

The timing wasn't exactly the best but she supposed it was better to get the mood swings out of the way before the exam. Besides, every other woman seemed to be able to cope. Damned if she wasn't going to as well. She'd just have to find a way that would allow her to be a normal person instead of the hormonal monster she had been last time. Ed slipped from her bed, gathered her clothes and went to the bathroom.

As he stood under the shower, he grinned. That was twice now. The urge to smother Al seemed to be the beginning of each cycle. Which was fine as long as Al was there. What would he do when Al wasn't there anymore? He shrugged. I'm sure there'll be something just as good, he thought. He'd have to tell Al when he woke up. He didn't want Al to get the wrong idea when he started to snarl at him like he'd done last time. At least Al could hide in the library. And if he concentrated hard enough, Ed was fairly certain he could avoid some of the irritability by studying.

As he continued washing and dressing, Ed mentally ticked off what had happened last time. He was going to have to go out and get some things. Like chocolate and jam and tea for starters. Granny had given him the heat pack and he had enough supplies for the actual bleeding. He felt fairly well prepared for the cycle this time. He knew what to expect, he could do this.

When Ed left the bathroom Al was waiting for his turn so Ed had to wait before she could tell her brother what was about to befall them.

Al looked suitably horrified and fought the blush that threatened. He had not forgotten the mood swings Ed had demonstrated last time and he didn't relish being confined in the dorm with her.

"We've got to think this through logically Al." Ed said as she watched Al regain his composure.

"How is logic going to help, Sister?"

"Women do this all the time so I can too. We just need to have a plan. It's only for three days, Al."

"I thought you said it could vary."

"That's what Granny and the books said but we need to have some basic time frame to work in."

Al nodded, that sort of made sense. But he did wonder just how much help logic was going to be during a cycle that struck Al as being way too emotive for logic to have any effect.

"We need to go shopping Al. I don't want to go to the mess hall every time I want a piece of jam toast or a cup of tea."

"You might not like jam toast this time, Sister."

"Al! You know what I mean." Ed glared at her brother and forced the irritation down. She could do this. Al hid his smile as he heard the edge to her words. It could be rather fun, this living on the edge with a primed to explode Edward.

"The bastard is not to know, Al." Ed stated clearly.

"Why not, Sis? You have to tell him otherwise how can you have the days off?"

"Al, you know what it's like when we are in the same room…?" She asked and he nodded in reply. "Now can you imagine what it would be like if I am in the middle of an irritable moment and he makes one of his smart ass remarks?"

Al opened his mouth in a silent 'Oh'. Yes, he understood perfectly now. They'd need to rebuild Central if that happened. "So, what do you want to do Sis?"

"We'll tell Hawkeye. Even Mustang wouldn't question her." They both agreed on that. "I don't think we'll have to worry this time though, Al. They all know I'm studying for the exam so they know I won't be in the office much this week anyway. And they aren't likely to come visiting."

"I wanted to get started on our research, Sister." Al said almost hesitatingly.

"You can do that Al. It'll keep you out of the firing line so to speak." Ed grinned at the look of relief that crossed her brother's face. "And if you can bring some of it back here, it'll help keep me distracted."

"Of course, Sister, and my other notes will arrive in a couple of days so there'll be plenty for you to do." Al paused. "You said you'd phone Winry today, Sis."

Ed nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'd better do that before I get too irritable."

* * *

Ed was irritable by the time he got off the phone. Winry had not been pleased about his re-enlistment, mainly because she was afraid it would make Al take back his resignation. It had taken Ed half an hour to convince her otherwise. By that time Al had left for the library and Ed felt irrationally resentful that he couldn't get into the library while his brother could.

He forced himself to relax and after walking back to their room and grabbing his long blue coat he was feeling much calmer. He pushed a few things into his pockets and left, almost looking forward to wandering around the markets. The sooner he got those bits and pieces the sooner he would be able to lose himself in his studies.

Ed was feeling rather pleased with herself as she wandered through the outdoor market area. She had managed to get most of the things she wanted and even a few extras. She had even managed to control the irritability she had felt in the supermarket when the queues had been slow and the damned operator slower. She hadn't cursed too much at the idiot who had pushed in front of her and a quick wave of an automail fist had soon solved that problem.

Now she walked slowly, weaving her way through the morning crowd looking for the last couple of items she needed. A flash of red caught her eye and she eased past a few shoppers to see what it was. It was the same shade as her old coat had been.

Ed stared. It was silk. Smooth red silk pyjamas. With gold trim.

"They would suit you Edward."

Ed spun around and found Captain Hawkeye smiling at her.

"Shit Hawkeye! You scared the hell out of me." Ed could feel her heart racing and took a deep breath.

Hawkeye laughed and Ed stared at her. Hawkeye had her hair pulled into a low ponytail and was casually dressed in slacks and a soft V-necked jumper. She looked completely different to what Ed was used to seeing.

"You look so different, Hawkeye." Ed said, her eyes wide. "Without the uniform and all." She waved her hand around.

Hawkeye smiled. "Ed, please call me Riza."

"Ok, Riza." Ed smiled back. "It feels weird calling you that though. Half the time I still want to say Lieutenant."

"You'll get used to it Edward."

"Everyone keeps telling me that." Ed said, a tight edge coming into her voice. She was getting tired of hearing that phrase and she had to take a couple of deep breaths to control the wave of irrational anger that swept over her.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Hawkeye asked, concern in her warm eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Haw... Riza. Just a bit irritable that's all. Pre menstrual tension Granny calls it." Ed looked again at the red silk and completely missed the stunned expression that crossed Hawkeye's face.

"Edward?" Hawkeye said slowly.

"Hmm?"

"You have PMS?" She asked in a controlled voice.

"PMS? What's that?"

"Pre menstrual syndrome. It used to be called pre menstrual tension."

Ed nodded. "Yep. I tend to get rather irritable with it. Don't tell the bastard though, Hawkeye. If he smirked I'd probably tear his head off. And this is only the second time I've had it so I'm still learning how to cope with this whole damned cycle thing."

"I won't say anything Edward. Actually Edward, if I were you I wouldn't mention it to any of the others in the office either."

"Why not Riza? I mean Havoc would know all about it, you do live together right. I mean Al knows because we share a dorm. But I guess the others probably wouldn't have had too much contact with it." Edward said as she thought it through.

Hawkeye's cheeks went slightly pink. She discovered that a female Edward was definitely different from any other woman she knew. "It's not a subject discussed in mixed company Edward. Everyone is aware of it, but it's just not spoken of."

"But it's alright if we talk about it?" Ed asked curiously.

"Yes, because we're both female."

"Well, you are, Riza. I'm not." Ed paused. "I mean I know I am one and that but I don't feel like one." She stopped as Hawkeye shook her head.

"Edward, relax. This is not something you need to justify to either me or yourself." Hawkeye smiled at her. "You are Edward, and male or female, you have always been someone I considered a friend." Ed smiled back.

"So what are you shopping for Ed?" Hawkeye asked and listened as Ed rattled off her list.

"There are some good herbal teas that can help you, Edward. I'll show you."

"Thanks, Haw… Riza. I know Al would be pleased if I'm not as feral as I was last time." Ed picked up her bags and prepared to follow Hawkeye.

"Aren't you going to get the pyjamas, Ed?" Hawkeye asked.

"Uh no. Why?'

"You were standing there looking at them Edward. It's usually a sign that a woman is considering buying them."

Ed looked a bit taken aback. "I only noticed them because they were the same colour as my old coat. I have pyjamas already, I don't need two sets." She looked at Hawkeye. "So, if I look at anything people are going to assume I'm thinking of buying it?"

"Not everything Ed, but yes. Especially if it's clothes."

"That seems rather biased, Riza. I mean if I saw you looking at guns I'd know straightaway that you'd be buying them. I'd never think that if I saw you looking at clothes." Ed said earnestly.

Two seconds later Edward opened her eyes wide and her face paled as the words she had just spoken connected in her mind. Edward had seen no visible weapon on Hawkeye but she knew it was there somewhere.

"I'm sorry, Riza… Hawkeye I mean… I didn't mean that I'd never think of you not buying clothes but I just never…"

"Edward." Hawkeye watched her babble and laughed. "It's alright. I'm not offended, I did understand what you meant." She noticed the colour returning to Ed's face and began to realise just how difficult it was going to be for Edward to be faced with a whole new set of values and perceptions. Although Hawkeye had the impression that Edward was unaware of most of the expectations society placed on women. Her amazement yesterday at realising women never became State Alchemists came to mind.

Riza was struck by the thought that Edward would probably _never_ see those expectations. All _his_ life he had been influenced by women, strong formidable women. His mother had raised him and Alphonse on her own. There had been no mother/father role delineation in his childhood. Mother had done everything. And after her death, that redoubtable old lady Pinako had taken them into her care. They had grown up with Winry. And then there was their Teacher. Hawkeye had met her briefly and had spent a day in her company after Edward had disappeared. She remembered how terrified Al had been of her. Izumi Curtis had even made her think twice.

Edward's military service had also been influenced by strong women. Herself and Maria Ross had disciplined him and had kept him going on occasion. Even some of his adversaries had been women. She looked at Edward. No, he would never see women as anything but individuals in their own right. He saw _everyone_ as individuals, which was probably why he still didn't see himself as female. He saw no difference in his being male or female, he was simply Edward and Edward was male. And Hawkeye understood that when Edward did accept himself as female it would not be in recognition of his _being_ female but because _Edward_ was female.

Hawkeye grinned suddenly. Edward needed to learn a little bit about being female, she had no idea how women _thought_ and Riza decided that it would benefit Edward to get a glimpse inside.

"Edward, you need to buy those pyjamas." She said in her office voice.

"But I already told you, Hawkeye. I have …"

"Edward. You need more than one pair and every woman should have one pair of silk pyjamas at some point in her life." Hawkeye stated.

Ed frowned. "Is this like Granny's rule that lingerie needs lace?" She asked curiously.

"Yes." Hawkeye softened her stance. "Edward, I can see you have no idea what it means to be female. Whether or not you remain so is beyond me. But while you are, you should make the most of it. After the exam, you and I are going to go out and have lunch. Now buy the pyjamas and do not wear them until you pass the exam."

"Why not before?" Ed was confused. "What's the point of buying them now, why not wait and then buy them?"

"That would defeat the purpose." She smiled at the confused look in the golden eyes. "Edward, I promise if you haven't figured it out, then I will explain it to you…_after_ the exam."

Ed felt Riza Hawkeye had suddenly stepped into Teacher's shoes and she had to withhold a shiver. There was a point to Hawkeye's words, there had to be, but she couldn't see it. It was a girl thing, she knew that much, but exactly what had her puzzled.

Ed bought the pyjamas and pushed them to the very bottom of the bag. Hawkeye smiled at the frown on her face as she showed Ed the way to the little stall where the best herbal teas could be found.

* * *

When Edward returned to the dorm he pulled the pyjamas out and laid them on the bed. He put the rest of his shopping away and made up one of the herbal teas before walking back to stand there staring at them.

He frowned at them. Hawkeye had said not to wear them til after the exam, so what was he supposed to do with them until then? He looked at the chest of drawers. He already had his two drawers filled with all the clothes Winry had insisted he pack. He sighed when he remembered the times when he had never had to bother with this sort of thing. When all his stuff fit into one case and then one drawer if he did unpack it. The pyjamas looked like they would crease easily and he growled. They didn't have anywhere to hang them. The back of a chair was the closest he ever came to hanging anything up. He could feel himself getting irritable and he took a sip of the tea.

He nearly spat it out all over the pyjamas. He forced himself to swallow it and then looked closer at the red coloured liquid. The box had said chamomile and raspberry. It wasn't as sweet as he had assumed the raspberry to be. Sugar, he had to put sugar in it.

When he had it sweet enough he went back to the pyjamas and with a resigned expression on his face he clapped and formed a row of small spikes along one of the walls. He hung the pyjamas on one of them. Al was going to laugh at him, he just knew it.

* * *

Al did laugh when he saw the pyjamas. He stopped the moment Ed told him that Hawkeye had made Ed buy them. They puzzled over what Hawkeye's reasons could be before they sidetracked themselves with Al's notes.

The evening passed quietly. Ed was rather pleased with how the day had gone. Obviously knowing what to expect had taken away a large part of the emotional swing. The physical aching and cramping was also less but she had to get the heat pad as the night wore on and she curled around it when it came time for bed and fell asleep with that damned red silk in front of her eyes.

* * *

Three days later found Edward cursing at the closed bathroom door.

"C'mon Al, hurry it up!"

"You spend hours in here, Sis. It's my turn!"

"But I need to, you don't!" Being female was definitely a disadvantage today. If he had still been male he could have just entered and no-one would have cared, but no, brothers and sisters couldn't do that. He drove his fingers into his hair and tugged.

"Go use the other bathroom, Sis!" Al called.

"You just don't want me to catch you bleeding again." Ed said grumpily. Damn Al, trust him to have thought of that. "Besides all my stuff is in there with you."

"It was an accident!" Al protested loudly, as he opened the door and tossed out Ed's towel and detested toiletry bag. He shut the door quickly behind him as Ed snickered. Yes, there had been a small nick on Al's chin.

Ed gathered up a clean t-shirt and jeans and slung them over his shoulder.

"I'll see you later Al. Don't cut yourself too much!" He laughed. Al had begun shaving despite Ed's assertion that he didn't really need to. His hair was fair enough, it didn't show up too much at all. But Breda and Havoc had been teasing him. Ed had told him not to be silly and to be grateful he didn't have to shave his legs like he had to.

Edward left their room and walked to the security door separating the men's and women's quarters. He felt a bit reluctant as he used his key and tentatively opened the door to reveal a corridor exactly like the one behind him. It felt like being in enemy territory and he stepped quietly down the hall to the door beneath the large sign.

The room was empty when he entered. Gleaming white tiles and porcelain basins shone. The mirrors were brightly lit and Ed felt a bit stunned. It was all so clean and smooth. So different to the grey and steel of the men's bathroom. He looked around and found a cubicle with a shelf and a rack and even a seat. He found himself starting to smile. This was akin to luxury. Were all female bathrooms like this?

He placed his clothes on the seat and looked around the cubicle. The dividing walls nearly reached the ceiling not shoulder height like the men's. It was like being in his own private bathroom. He shut the door behind him and started the shower. He couldn't stop smiling. Al could hog the bathroom in their dorm as much as he liked, Ed decided. This was an arrangement he was more than happy with.

Ed took a long time in the shower. It was probably the best part of the military facilities he thought. There was always plenty of hot water. He washed his hair out and managed to shave his legs without any cuts at all. He grinned at that.

Ed slipped into his t-shirt and jeans and picked up the toiletry bag, hunting for his hairbrush. He had just stepped out of the cubicle door with his towel still flung over his head when the other door opened and half a dozen female soldiers entered.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much to all following this and reading this as it gets longer and longer. 28 pages should keep you happy for a bit, shouldn't it?...lol. And the next chapter is looking rather long as well.

Thank you's and smiles to the reviewers. The advice and the comments are most helpful and appreciated. And I'm glad that you all seem to like the new Fuhrer.

**Amy**_ (thank you and I'm glad you're enjoying this)_  
**Bar-Ohki **_(thank you, I'm trying to keep him from taking over…lol)_  
**catwwomen47 **_(calm down…lol ... here you go, another long chapter for you)_  
**Dark-English-Rose **_(thank you…even a little bit is always appreciated)_  
**ehxhfdl14 **_(I haven't quite figured whether to tell him what he did or not, yet)_  
**Fullmetal Neko **_(I'd never do yearly updates, how about 6 monthly?...lol)_  
**Glue Project **_(I hope the outfit looks good… and here you are, a nice and long chapter)_  
**Kawaii Chibi Shun **_(the age gap in a male/female pairing is never an issue, I think people make it an issue when the woman is the older party or both are same sex… and go Al indeed…more action for Al…lol)_  
**KB Twilight **_(merci…and take as much space as you need to review…lol)_  
**KeeperOfTheTimes **_(thank you and still good for weekly updates)_  
**Krows Scared **_(thank you… yes I think you need to take time with anything you write, letting it sit and steep, so to speak before you edit and post)_  
**marufu-chan **_(maybe I need to write longer and longer chapters…lol)_  
**MaryLover **_(and all your questions are answered...lol)_  
**N.James The Diehard Dishrag **_(some things are just better when they're done slowly…lol)_  
**nolies**_ (rambling is good…judging by how long these chapters are getting, I ramble too..lol)_  
**ProzacFairy **_(Al will be fine…eventually…lol)_  
**Reta McClain **_(lol… I have a slow pace set for this story, I'm sorry…lol)_  
**September's Nobara **_(thank you, keeping the characters real is the hardest part sometimes I think)_  
**Sinful Temptation**_ (there you go, more dialogue for you…lol)_

silken :)


	10. Appearances and Assessments

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Appearances and Assessments  
**

Edward looked up from beneath her towel and watched as they walked in. They carried toiletry bags and had towels over their shoulders. A couple of them were carrying uniforms on hangers and most were yawning. They stopped and stared at Edward.

Edward stood there, unsure what to do. They were just standing there and staring. Ed was not familiar with this. In the men's room she would have just ignored them, but then they wouldn't have stared in the first place.

"You a new recruit?" One of them asked. Brown eyes swept over Edward, lingering briefly on her arm.

"No." Ed replied. She had been stared at since she was twelve but this examination was disconcerting. There was an element of judgement in it and Ed found herself resenting it. For once Edward was pleased to have the automail exposed. Hopefully it would make them think twice.

"'No Ma'am' I believe is the correct form of address toward a superior officer." Brown eyes frowned slightly. "And if you are not a recruit then you should not be here."

The voice was clear with a testing edge to it. Ed recognised it immediately. She had dealt with others like this. Being an underage State Alchemist and Major had caused enough questions and disbelief to last her two lifetimes. Ed had been through too much to pacify some petty wannabe and time spent with Mustang had given her a myriad of ways to cope. Unconcernedly she walked across to the basins and put her bag down and pulled the towel from her head. Edward found the hairbrush and turned to face the brown-eyed woman.

"And what is your rank?" She asked politely and completely ignored the implied questioning of her presence here.

"I am First Lieutenant Rann. And you are?" The brown eyed woman crossed her arms and stood there. The lack of any sort of wariness or fear from the blonde was slightly disconcerting to Rann. People usually reacted in one of two ways to her. Either they became suitably repressed or they made their own bid for supremacy. This one was just standing there, completely uncaring and brushing out the longest golden hair she had ever seen.

"Elric." Ed said as she pulled the brush through her hair.

"No rank, Elric?"

"Rank? What for? I used to be a Major if you think it's important." Ed smirked slightly; her eyes amused and tied her hair back into a high tail.

"Used to be? Did you get demoted?" The Lieutenant took a step closer. The blonde was being deliberately obtuse she thought. That gleam of amusement in those strangely coloured eyes made her think this Elric woman was playing games with her.

"No, they're going to make me a Lieutenant-Colonel instead." Ed watched the woman's face pale and sighed silently. She hated these little power plays and she had never been able to find any justification for them. But that didn't mean she was going to lose one either.

"Major Elric is male, isn't he?" One of the others said in a confused voice. Blue eyes looked at Edward puzzled. "I thought he was an alchemist."

"You're thinking of my brother." Ed replied as she pulled out her toothbrush and ran water over the bristles.

"I think you're lying, Elric." First Lieutenant Rann said slowly. There was something strange about this calm blonde. "How did you lose your arm?"

"During the rebellion."

"You're not old enough! You are lying, I knew it. Who are you?" Rann said triumphantly. She felt a bit uncertain when the blonde sighed and put down her toothbrush and turned to look at her with a serious expression in those strange golden eyes. The look in those eyes made her take a step back. There was more experience and remembered pain in those eyes than she had ever seen.

"I was eleven when I lost my arm, First-Lieutenant. I was a Major for four years and I have been away. Now I am back and my rank will be Lieutenant-Colonel. I would suggest that this little game is over." Edward said bluntly. She did not think they needed to know any more than that and she wasn't about to justify herself to any of them, especially this Lieutenant Rann.

Was this how women behaved, she wondered. The others had been silently watching and measuring. Was it a pack mentality? Or was how she dealt with Rann to be the benchmark they used when they spoke to her? Rank and position had never been a concern of Ed's. She had rarely needed to use military rank at all. Just being Fullmetal had been enough. She remembered some men who had been rank and status orientated, she hadn't realised that women could be the same as well. And yet this didn't seem to be status of an official nature, this was more personal. Ed hid a confused frown. Why couldn't all women be like Hawkeye, she'd know exactly where she was then.

The door slammed open as a brown haired woman came barrelling through. She tripped over the undone laces on her shoes and would have fallen if Edward hadn't caught her with her right arm.

"Automail! Wow, I haven't seen that in years." The young woman exclaimed. "I have a friend who makes the best…" Large eyes looked up straight into wide golden ones.

"Ed?"

"Schieska?"

"Oh my God! Edward? Is that really you?" Schieska held tight to the automail and looked at her closely. "It is you! I'd know those eyes anywhere."

Ed laughed at her exuberance. "Schieska, it's good to see you! What are you still doing in the military? I thought you'd go back to the libraries."

"I just couldn't. So many things changed and you went missing and Al, oh poor Al he was so lost…" Schieska suddenly stopped. "Wait. Edward what are you doing here?"

"I came back, Schieska. Al helped me return." Ed smiled.

"No, no, I mean what are you doing _in here_?"

"I was having a shower, Schieska. Al was hogging the one in our dorm." Ed watched Schieska's eyes widen further. The differing reactions to her return was something to be savoured she was finding. Seeing the people she had missed and watching them accept her as being back and so changed had a unique flavour to it.

"Edward. This is a female bathroom."

"Schieska, look." Ed smiled at her and spread her arms wide. "See, all female now."

"Oh Ed, I'm sorry. What happened?" Schieska couldn't stop staring.

"It was just an accident." She shrugged and smiled. "Honestly, it's fine, really."

"Edward Elric?" The blue eyed woman who had spoken earlier suddenly questioned. Both Ed and Schieska nodded in reply.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist?" Lieutenant Rann asked in tones of shock.

"Yes." Ed replied offhandedly.

"Edward, are you back to stay?" Schieska asked hopefully.

"Yes, Schieska." She paused. "Which reminds me, I'd better get back and get some study done."

"Are you going to sit the exam again?"

"Of course."

"It is so good to see you back here Edward. We missed you all so much." Schieska hugged Edward. "We'll have to do lunch after you pass the exam."

"Of course, that sounds good." Ed wondered if 'doing lunch' was a girl thing. She now had two lunch invitations for after the exam.

"How can you be the Fullmetal Alchemist? You're female." Lieutenant Rann said disbelievingly.

"Yes, and I used to be male." Edward replied casually.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist is dead. There's a statue to him." The blue eyed woman stated in a carefully calm manner with a rather wild look in her eyes.

"There _was _a statue." Edward said. "And it's pretty obvious that I am not dead." Was this going to happen every time she met strangers? It wasn't a problem with those she had known before, they could understand. Was there always going to be this scepticism and disbelief with those who had only heard the stories? Edward recalled Al's words from the train and her reply that no-one would care. Four years was obviously not long enough for some infamies to fade.

"I heard about that." One of the others said with a smile in her voice. "There was a brawl between the Ice General and a mouthy blonde…" her voice trailed off.

"Yes, that would be me, and it was hardly a brawl. More a spirited discussion." Edward said as she began to pack the toiletry bag.

Schieska was watching and seeing just how grown up Edward was now. The patience he… she was displaying was rather remarkable when she recalled the demanding forceful attitude of four years ago. The eyes and the hair Schieska recalled so well were brighter and more vivid. The slim figure in that black t-shirt and jeans was impossible to deny. She had hugged him…her. She really was back and Schieska couldn't be happier. Schieska bit her lip as she thought of someone else who would also be happy to see Ed again

"Edward?" Schieska said hesitantly.

"What?" She replied absently as she collected her towel.

"Will you come with me when I visit Mrs Hughes next?"

Edward stopped moving and her eyes widened. She looked at Schieska in shock.

"I know she'd like to see you again and Elysia certainly would."

"Schieska…" Edward couldn't say anymore. Of all the losses she had known, the death of Maes Hughes had hit Edward very hard. She knew it was her fault that he had died. If she hadn't told him about what had happened in Lab 5, he'd still be alive. He never would have gone looking for the damned inhuman monsters that had killed him. How could she face Gracia, that gentle woman who, with their daughter, had been the sum of Maes' life?

"Please Edward." Schieska knew Ed and Al had been close to Maes Hughes. Gracia had often mentioned them and Al did sometimes visit but he always seemed awkward and ill at ease.

Ed looked at Schieska and could see tears in her eyes. She sighed silently. She owed it to Hughes, she owed it to herself.

"Okay, Schieska. But after the exam. I couldn't… I couldn't do it before then." Ed spoke slowly.

Schieska smiled. "I understand." And she did, she could see it in Ed's eyes but she wouldn't have felt right if she hadn't asked. Schieska had become very close to Gracia over the last few years and although Gracia laughed it away, she still felt partly to blame for Hughes' death. Edward, she could see felt the same and seeing Gracia would help him…her just as much as it had her. "I'm still in the Investigations division so you can get a message to me there."

"I'll do that, and you can always get me through Mustang's office. Hawkeye will see to it." Ed grinned and picked up her bag. "But now I have to get going. Study calls."

"You'll pass, Ed. You remember things as well as I do."

"Schieska, no-one remembers things the way you do." Ed smiled.

The others were being very silent, watching and listening and Ed knew the moment she left Schieska was going to get bombarded with questions. She flicked her eyes across the watchers and lifted an eyebrow in a silent query to Schieska, but she just waved it away and hugged Ed again.

"I'm a First Lieutenant too," she whispered in Ed's ear and laughed lightly as an automail hand poked her in the ribs in acknowledgement.

* * *

Women were definitely strange creatures, he thought as he walked back to his dorm. Some things were so similar and others so different. They seemed to switch from one emotion to another so easily and were more upfront than he had expected. When he had that lunch with Hawkeye he was going to ask lots of questions. Maybe I should start writing them down, he thought.

He smiled, it had been good to see Schieska again. She was just the same as he remembered her. Lunch was going to be fun. His hand tightened on the toiletry bag. Seeing Mrs Hughes again though, that was going to be hard. And Elysia. So many images and memories. All those damned photos that Hughes had flaunted and all the times he had come around to offer his unspoken support. Ed wished suddenly that Hughes was here, that he was here with his camera and giving Ed hell for being female. Damn it, Hughes would be trying to get Ed in a dress just so he could get a photo of it. And then he'd use it to photograph everyone else's reaction to it. Ed stopped walking and had to take a deep breath. His eyes were prickling. He blinked hard a few times.

But first, he had to pass the exam in five days time. The last three days he had tried to read and revise but the cramps had been more of a distraction than he had bargained for. The emotional upheaval had been easier to cope with but he knew he had a fair amount of missed time to catch up on. He was not going to give Mustang any chance to gloat over this one.

* * *

Edward read everything she could get her hands on. Al's notes arrived and were devoured. Al brought home copious notes from the library and Ed flew threw them. She drew circle after circle, she paced the room reciting list after list of compounds and formulae.

Al made sure she ate at least once a day and after three days locked her in the bathroom and refused to unlock it until she showered. Their tentative sixteen hours a day became twenty and Al would find her sleeping on the books. He would throw a rug over her and let her sleep until she would wake and curse him for not waking her earlier. Ed was cramming four years of missed alchemy into just under a week. Al would have worried more but he knew how focused Ed got when she had something to study and he was very grateful it was only for the week.

Al called into the office a couple of times mainly to have someone else to talk to. His descriptions of an obsessively studying Ed brought smiles to the whole office. They were very familiar with Edward's single-mindedness. A small betting ring started up as they debated whether Ed would beat her original score and by how much as well as how much destruction she would cause during the practical. No-one, not even Mustang, suggested a bet on whether or not she would pass. They all knew she would.

* * *

The night before the exam found Edward sprawled on the couch without a book in her hand. Al was comfortably ensconced in the arm chair and there was an easy silence between them.

"Are you really ready for tomorrow, Sis?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Brother." Ed sighed. "I can't think of anything more I can do."

"What about the practical?"

"I'll play it like last time and see what turns up on the day. I can't bring research results in because I haven't done any. I don't know if they'll have the same materials as they did last time but something will come to me, I'm sure."

"It sounds very haphazard, Sis."

"I know, but that's just me Al. I don't think I can change that at this late stage of my life." Ed grinned at her brother and he wrinkled his nose at her.

"Late stage indeed." Al laughed. "You are never going to get to a late stage, Sis."

"Just think, three more days and we'll both be able to go to the library. You have no idea how much I want to get back in there."

Al laughed. "The librarians will probably remember you from before. Maybe I should warn them."

Ed waved a lazy fist in his direction.

"C'mon, you promised me you'd have an early night Sis."

"Slave driver." Ed grumbled as she got up from the couch, but she knew Al was right. The written exam was always a long one and she did not want to be overly tired or sleep deprived when she sat for it.

In the bedroom, the red silk pyjamas caught her eye. She still hadn't figured out Hawkeye's reasons. But they had taken on a life of their own. Every night she saw them as she went to sleep, every morning they were there when she woke up and in three days she was going to wear them. Wearing them would mean she had passed the exam. They had become a symbol, a reward, for success. Ed curled up under her blankets. Yes, three days and it would all be over.

* * *

Al shook Ed awake and pushed her into the bathroom early the next morning. When Ed reappeared dressed in jeans and black t-shirt Al frowned.

"Why are you wearing that? Don't you think you ought to dress up a bit more for it?"

Ed blinked. "Al, it's just an exam. I'm going to be sitting there for three hours at least. I intend to be comfortable." She waved a hand to the chair where her blue coat hung over the back of it. "Besides I have my coat to wear over these."

"But Sis…"

"Al, don't worry. It'll be fine, you'll see."

Later that morning when they stood outside the examination room Al pointedly drew Ed's attention to all the other applicants who were in their best casual wear. Ed rolled her eyes. She really did not see anything wrong with her attire and thought Al was letting his nerves get the better of him.

"They're just going to get uncomfortable later on, Al." She looked at him smiled, placing her flesh hand on his arm. "Listen to me Brother. I am the one sitting this exam, not you. So relax a bit and stop worrying. I will pass this and I'll do it the way we have always done things." She paused and said in a solemn voice. "Without regret, without fear and in comfortable clothes." Gold and grey eyes met and identical smiles crossed their faces.

"Brother."

"Sister."

Then Ed lightly cuffed Al's shoulder.

"Wait for me." She said as she turned and entered the large hall.

"Always." Al replied softly.

* * *

The hall was just as Ed remembered it. Tiered seating filled three quarters of the room with a raised dais for the adjudicators. There seemed to be a lot of applicants, moreso than last time and Ed slipped into a seat near a side aisle. She looked around. She was the only female and noticed several surreptitious glances her way. A few of the men wore condescending smiles as if questioning her impertinence at thinking she could sit this exam. It strengthened her resolve. If nothing else she was going to wipe those smiles off their faces.

One of the lower doors opened and the adjudicators and overseers marched in. She saw the Fuhrer in the middle of the line and noticed Mustang off to the side as well. Well, this was just like last time. She hadn't taken much notice of him back then. Last time they had just been a line of blue uniforms. She briefly caught Mustang's eye and grinned and saw his quick answering smirk. Oh yes, his was another face she was going to wipe the smile from.

She didn't listen to the opening speech. She knew it would all be about duty and how fortunate they all were to have made it here and to be given this opportunity and all the meaningless notions of honour and country. She leant back in her seat and closed her eyes and took deep slow breaths. She had sat several exams on the other side and had found that relaxing like this had been beneficial in clearing her mind of much of the nerves she would never admit to feeling. The rustling of paper being slid along the tables made her eyes open again. There were a lot more pages than she recalled from last time. Thirty, forty pages, it looked like a bloody manifesto she thought. And an extra book to write in. Ed closed her eyes briefly and squared her jaw. She was going to do this and do it damned well too.

"Begin."

Ed turned the papers over and began. Question after question. Page after page. Some she recalled from the last time, most were new. She drew the circles, she wrote the paragraphs, she ticked the multiple choices. She was unaware of anything but the paper. Time slipped past and still she wrote more and more.

Both Fuhrer Sterben and Brigadier-General Mustang watched the golden head of Edward Elric. It was hard to miss especially when a stray sunbeam lit up that entire section for twenty minutes half way through the exam. The Fuhrer had heard of Edward's ability to concentrate and was fascinated to see it in action. Other candidates coughed and shifted restlessly and even stared around the room seeking their answers. But Edward's head never lifted. Three quarters of the way through the exam Ed moved. She took her coat off, one arm at a time in between sentences. Her eyes were still fixed on the papers and silver glinted from her arm as it kept her pages from shifting around.

It distracted several of the applicants who were closest to her but she kept on writing. Mustang smirked. He remembered when Edward had first sat this exam. A small figure of gold and red dwarfed by the room and the armour beside him. Now he watched the same golden head, this time female and above a black t-shirt and found himself aware of a feeling of pride. Eight years ago he had taken a large risk and made it possible for Edward to sit for this exam. This time it was her strength and resolve that had brought her here. Last time they had praised his ability to spot such a singular talent as Edward Elric's had been. This time it would be her ability alone in demonstrating that talent that would grant her success. And he was proud of her. He smiled slowly. Yes, it was very appropriate for _her_ to take back _his_ name. She was Fullmetal. She should always be Fullmetal.

"Ten minutes to go."

Edward was still writing. Unlike last time, she was going to finish every single question on these pages. She could feel a few beads of sweat sliding down the side of her face but, like the pending cramp in her fingers, she was ignoring it. Last page and she wrote furiously. Last time she had been hampered by having to write left handed after barely a year to learn how. This time she had been left handed for eight years and her legibility was much improved as was her fluency. Knowledge spilled onto the pages combined with experience and still she wrote.

Last question and she barely heard the five minute call. More words and sentences formed in her controlled rush and then it was done and she stopped pen in hand poised over the paper. Where was the next question she wondered. She blinked as she realised she had finished it. There were no more questions.

"Time."

The pen fell from her fingers and she blinked again. She took a slow breath and then straightened her back before stretching her arms out in front of her. Gloved fingers twitched and clenched as her back arched further. She linked her fingers together and stretched until the knuckles cracked. She looked up and saw Mustang standing on the dais overseeing the collection of the papers. Most of the other official observers had left. She rolled her head on her shoulders and stood up.

She ignored the looks from the other candidates as she picked up her coat and slipped it back on. She didn't know if they were staring at her arm or because she was female and she really didn't care. She had completed the paper and that was all that mattered. She handed her paper to the corporal as he came past. She stretched one last time and began to move up the aisle.

"Women can't become alchemists. They're just wasting valuable time." A loud voice spoke from one of the rows as she went up the stairs. A hush fell over the room. On the dais Mustang looked up and frowned slightly. Several of the remaining inspectors also watched.

Ed looked and saw a dark haired stocky man a few steps higher with a sneer on his face. Ed was rather grateful at that moment for the emotional rollercoaster her cycle time gave her. It allowed her to control the initial reaction to shove her fist in his face. Several other responses came to mind and all of them would have started a brawl. She didn't need to turn around to know that Mustang was watching from below and she knew that any brawling here would have serious consequences.

"This is too hard for a woman to handle. Go home girl, and leave this to the men." He looked down at her and smiled condescendingly. Her silence had given him further courage. A few of the other applicants gathered to the side to watch and some were of the same opinion judging by their expressions. But some were not and they were unsure if they should rush to the blonde's defence or to let her handle it.

Ed sighed and stopped and took a casual pose on the stairs, leaning back against the high end of the tiered seating, her arms crossed loosely and one ankle crossing the other. This guy was trying to build a support base and thought picking on her would be an easy way to gain attention amongst the other candidates. Her eyes were gleaming and a smirk was just barely visible in the corner of her lips. She knew how to handle this. She had had four years of Mustang. If anything, dealing with this was easier than when she had been confronted with the women in the bathroom.

"Explain why this is too hard for a woman." Her voice was calm and laced with amusement.

"Everyone knows it, girl! You need years of study to get this far." He felt slightly unnerved at her relaxed stance, she should have been trembling and scared.

"And how long have you studied for?" She asked lightly, her eyes reflecting the continued amusement. "Three years, five perhaps. Did you even manage to answer all the questions?" Edward pushed the questions at him, taking the offensive.

"No-one answers all the questions. I have studied for seven years girlie, and that's longer than most people here." His eyes narrowed slightly as she laughed at his reply.

"So that means you didn't finish it." Ed grinned. "But then you said you've only been studying for seven years so it's understandable I guess."

"How long have you studied?" The stocky guy frowned. She was making fun of him now and he was not going to allow that.

"Fifteen years." Ed paused to let that sink in and the smirk was very evident as she continued. "And yes, I did complete every question. So I ask again, exactly how is it too hard for a woman to take this exam?"

"There's still the interview and the practical. You think the military is going to want a _female_ alchemist in it? Military service is for men, not women and certainly not some crippled little blonde girl!"

The room went absolutely silent. Mustang stepped off the dais and began to walk up the stairs, pulling his gloved hands from his pockets. He couldn't see Ed's face but he was very aware that her casual pose had gone.

She straightened her back and placed both feet squarely on the stair, her head tilted to one side as her eyes glowed with a feral gleam. Anger rolled off her in a palpable wave and her hands fisted as her whole body tensed. When Edward spoke, even Mustang stopped. It was clear and precise and absolute fury dripped from every word.

"There are many women in the military. Women with strength of character, women with strength of mind, women who have been to war and back. You are insulting every single one of them. The military women I know are the strongest, bravest _people_ I have ever met." Ed's eyes narrowed and the dark haired man took a step back. Her voice became pure venom. "I would suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself or get some new ones because _if_ you manage to pass this exam, which I seriously doubt, you are not going to survive very long."

"You can't threaten me!" He began to bluster.

"I'm not. I'm making a suggestion." Edward paced up the stairs and stood right in front of him, her voice like ice. "If I was threatening you, I'd have my hand at your throat and I'd be saying something like, 'die asshole'". Ed smiled and he fell back at its coldness. "But I'm not doing that, am I?" She continued walking up the stairs.

When she got to the top of the stairs she turned around and looked down at him. Her golden eyes were hard as she stared at the stocky man and he had to look away. Her voice was deceptively light but they all heard the malicious enjoyment underneath.

"Oh and for your information. Eight years ago an _eleven year old boy_ sat this exam. Although he chose not to go on to the interview and the practical, he completed _every_ question." With that last shot she left the room.

"That's a lie!" He shouted as the crowd murmured around him. "It has to be."

"No, the young woman spoke the truth." A Brigadier-General stood on the stairs just below them. His hair was dark and he had a patch over one eye and his voice was just as cold as the blonde's had been. A gloved hand with a transmutation circle embroidered across the back of it was very visible as he flicked a bit of dust from his jacket. "Eight years ago a young boy did indeed answer every question." His voice became hard and his eye briefly rested on each one of them. "I would suggest that as you are no longer required to be here, you should leave… now."

The men began to move up the stairs. The stocky man was looking very pale and uncomfortable. This had not been the sort of attention he had been wanting.

"Excuse me Sir." One of the others said tentatively, turning back to the one-eyed man who had not moved.

"Why didn't he go on to complete the exam? If he answered all the questions…"

"There were health considerations and it was unwise at the time for him to continue. Although five years later he re-sat the exam and again answered every question and went on to become a State Alchemist." The Brigadier-General kept his voice cool and withdrawn and although he could see further questions on the man's face he turned away.

Roy Mustang took a deep breath as he walked down the stairs back to the dais. The rigid control and absolute ferocity Edward had demonstrated had stunned him. He had never seen Edward react to the extent as she had just then. The calculated words and the vicious edge Ed had used. Never had he realised that Edward was capable of such depth. He considered how easily he could incite Ed into their little squabbles and how _enjoyable_ they were. He began to re-think his strategy in his dealings with the blonde. For that brief moment Edward had surpassed Hawkeye as the most dangerous _woman_ he knew.

* * *

Edward was shaking as she walked out of the hall. She couldn't remember ever being that angry with anyone ever before. How dare he say that women were not strong enough for the military. Hawkeye was the strongest woman after Teacher that she had ever met. Lieutenant Ross had been just as strong. Even Schieska. And even that silly Rann woman. It was bigoted idiots like him that the military didn't need and if that asshole managed to make it through to the practical stage, Edward was going to make sure he didn't get any further.

Al was waiting and recognised the signs immediately. He stood in front of Ed and placed his hands squarely on her shoulders. He could feel how tense she was and he stood there as she trembled. Her hands were fisted so tightly at her sides and each breath was being forced out in a slow controlled rhythm.

"You need to hit something Sister, but there's nothing to hit here." Al looked at the lowered head. "You know we're not allowed to spar yet." He wondered what had happened. The exam would never have upset Ed this much, so something else had occurred. Normally Al would have looked to the Brigadier-General as the cause, but even Mustang could never have roused Ed to this state of fury.

Several other applicants began to leave the hall and Ed straightened up and shook Al's hands from her shoulders as she heard the footsteps. Her head turned and her cold eyes watched them pass by. Al watched as well and he saw the flare as a dark haired stocky man avoided them. Ahh, so whatever had happened had involved that one. Several of the others glanced sideways at Edward and noticed Al beside her. Al didn't like the looks in some of those eyes.

"Ed?" Al asked quietly.

"Umm excuse me?" A hesitant voice said from behind Ed. Both of them turned around and found one of the applicants standing there, looking very nervous but concerned as well. "I just wanted to … make sure you…umm... were alright."

"Do I look like I'm alright?" Ed snarled as she let some of the pressure out. Al gripped her shoulders again as the stranger took a step back.

"Sister, stop it! Tell me, what happened in there?" Ed began swearing beneath her breath and Al waited, knowing she would gradually get louder and then become understandable.

"You're her brother? You would be so proud of her." The guy spoke up over Ed's incoherent mutterings.

"Why?" Al asked.

"She stood up to this guy who thought women were inferior and shouldn't be alchemists or even in the military."

"Oh god, Ed what did you do to him?" Al looked worried and with good reason, although he had seen no visible injuries on the candidates as they had left.

"Nothing Al. It's alright, you know I wouldn't brawl in there." Ed replied as she struggled to regain some self-control. "But if he makes it into the practical he won't be going any further." She said with a steely note in her voice.

"I wish I had the courage you have." The young man said slowly. "I wanted to say something, but I was too scared."

Ed waved it away absently. "It's okay. There are guys like him everywhere. You meet enough of them in the military to soon know how to handle them." She was still concentrating on keeping her breathing controlled. The stranger's presence was stopping her from completely letting her control slip.

"Umm, my name's Ralke. Ralke Gray."

"It's nice to meet you Ralke. I'm Al and this is my sister Ed." Al held his hand out and Ralke shook it. Ralke was about the same height as he was and his hair was a russet brown colour. His eyes were hazel and he was thinner than Al was. Ed just nodded and took another deep breath.

"Come on Sis, let's get you out of here." Al watched her closely.

"Okay Al. I feel like I'm going to explode." Ed's right hand kept opening and closing.

"If it's not too much of an imposition would you like to have coffee with me? Both of you?" Ralke said hurriedly.

Ed and Al looked at him and blinked.

"What?" Al looked rather surprised. "You want us to have coffee with you?"

"Yes. My treat." Ralke said with a bit more conviction in his voice.

"If you want, but you don't have to treat us. We can pay our share." Al said slowly. The poor guy looked so thin he probably didn't have much money or eat very often anyway. They couldn't impose upon him like that. He exchanged a quick look with Ed and then he nodded.

"Alright and we know just the place. Come on Ralke. Have you been to Central before?" He said enthusiastically.

"No, I come from a small place just outside of West City."

"We've never been to West City, have we Sister?"

"No, we mainly worked out of East City." Ed replied as she led the way down the wide stairs outside Headquarters. The sunlight felt warm on her face and she smiled for the first time since the exam had finished. She stopped and took a deep breath and felt some of the tension dissolve. Al watched her and smiled.

"Better now, Sis?"

"Some. But something to hit would be more of a help." Even Ralke could see the more relaxed look on Ed's face. He stared at her hair noticing how golden it was and failed to notice Al watching him with a small smile. Al looked at Ed; of course his sister didn't see a thing.

The three of them went along the wide boulevard to the small coffee shop Ed and Al had frequented every time they had been in Central. Several table settings were outside and more were inside. There was a pleasant atmosphere and soft music played in the background. Colourful table cloths and fresh flowers on each table gave it a relaxed feel.

Ed and Al steered Ralke to an outside table and handed him a menu.

"Our treat." Ed said. "Consider it a welcome to Central thing." Edward had calmed down slightly but she could feel the anger bubbling quietly inside and she knew she had to keep herself distracted until she could hit something and let it out. And Ralke was perfect as a distraction. Someone new, someone who knew alchemy and someone who looked like he needed a bit of help.

"I can't let you do that." Ralke looked rather startled and shook his head in a quick refusal.

"Course you can. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it." Ed smiled.

"Let her do it, Ralke. Ed's very stubborn." Al added.

"Ha! You're the one paying Al, I still don't have any money, remember." Ed smirked.

"Sister!" Al protested even as his lips twitched. Ed crossed her eyes at him and he had to laugh. Ralke watched them wide-eyed. He had never seen siblings tease each other like this before.

"You're frightening the boy, Al." Ed said slyly as she noticed his amazement.

"I'm not a boy. I'm twenty-four." Ralke said defensively.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were younger." Ed apologised. The guy must be fresh off the train, she thought. His hesitant manner and obvious inexperience made him seem barely older than Al.

"Have you really been studying alchemy for fifteen years?" He asked. "You're not very old, are you?"

"I'm nearly twenty and yes, I have been studying since I was four or five. We both have."

The waitress came over and they placed their orders. Ed and Al knew exactly what they wanted and overwhelmed Ralke with their suggestions.

"So how was the exam, Sister?" Al asked, trying to distract his sister. Having Ralke here was good he thought, it was stopping Ed from tying herself up over whatever had happened in the Hall.

"There was a lot more to it than last time, Al. When did it get so large?"

"You've sat the exam before?" Ralke was stunned. He had never met anyone who had attempted this exam more than once.

"Yes." Ed nodded.

"I think it gets thicker every year, Sis." Al thought back, and then he nodded. "Yes, there was more for me too."

"You've _both_ sat the exam… _twice_?" Ralke's voice nearly cracked it went so high.

"Yes." Al said.

"Is that how you knew about that kid? Oh, but you would have been too young as well…"

"What kid?" Al asked.

Ed grinned slyly at Al and said as casually as she could. "Ahh, just some bratty eleven year old who sat the exam and managed to finish all the written questions eight years ago." She nearly laughed as she saw Al's eyes go wide in recognition.

"That one-eyed soldier said it was true." Ralke nodded in agreement, not having seen Al's reaction. He was finding this blonde to be more interesting than he had expected. He knew he was relatively naïve for his age because he had lived most of his life on a small farm just outside a small town and the ready acceptance from these two had eased a bit of his culture shock. As they had surmised, he had only arrived in Central late yesterday and he had absolutely no idea about anything but the alchemy exam.

He had been genuinely appalled at the scene in the Hall and he did regret not having the backbone to have said anything at the time. He had been very impressed with the way the young woman had handled the situation and even more so as the altercation had progressed although her ferocity had rather stunned him. He marvelled that such character could be found in such an attractive young lady.

"Actually he's a Brigadier-General and he would know. He was there that day although he was only a Lieutenant-Colonel back then. He became a Colonel soon after though." Ed said, remembering how he had orchestrated hers and Al's admittance to the exam.

"Why did you being that up, Sister?" Al asked curiously.

"It was all the fault of that fucking asshole." Ed spat and Ralke blinked at the language. It rather shocked him that she swore so openly. He wasn't used to women being familiar with too many curse words.

Ed gave Al an abridged version of what had happened skipping over certain parts. Ralke however added in the bits Ed was trying to leave out and then discovered why Ed had deliberately left those details out.

"A cripple? Little girl? Women are weak?" Al's eyes went wild, his voice rose on each word and his hands slammed on the table. "He's never met Hawkeye, or Teacher. How could you let him say that Ed? He insulted you!" Ed leant over and placed her flesh hand on his arm and gripped it firmly.

"You wanted I should start a brawl in there? Even I know better, Brother. Mustang was there, he would have fried me if I'd hit the guy. That's why I dropped the bit about you. To make him realise just how pitiful he really is." Ed paused and watched as Al took deep breaths. "People have called me worse, Al. But I couldn't let him get away with the rest of it."

"Who's Mustang? And do you mean Al was the kid back then?" Ralke's eyes widened.

"Mustang's the one-eyed Brigadier-General. And yes, Al was the one eight years ago." Ed said absently, most of her attention on Al as he fought for his self-control. Al rarely become that angry and Ed put her right hand in his and let him grip tight to her automail.

"And he answered all the questions? Wow." Ralke was impressed. "It's a shame his bad health stopped him from completing the tests. Do you realise he would have been the youngest State Alchemist ever and not that Fullmetal kid."

Ed and Al froze. Ed bit her tongue hard and Al blinked and tried to not look at Ed. But their eyes met and they burst out laughing. They leant back in their chairs and literally howled with laughter. Ed wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to speak but Al just slid off his chair and huddled on the floor nearly crying with laughter.

Ed shook her head as Ralke looked worried but she was still laughing too much to actually speak. He didn't know what had caused such a response from the siblings but whatever it was, it was definitely something that affected them a lot. He had never seen anyone laugh the way they were. Ed had nearly turned red and her eyes were watering. He couldn't see anything remotely funny in what he had said.

It took Ed and Al nearly five minutes to regain any self-control and they apologised profusely for their laughter. Their coffees had arrived and Ed and Al had to drink most of theirs before they felt normal again.

"That was brilliant. I feel so much better now." Ed smiled and stretched. "Thank you Ralke, I really needed that."

"What did I say?"

"Well, the Fullmetal Alchemist was my brother. He sat the exam the same time I did." Al said and watched as Ralke gaped at him. Ed sat back and sipped at her coffee.

"Your brother?" Ralke was absolutely shocked. "You mean you're Al _Elric_?"

Al nodded. "Yes. I couldn't finish the exam due to … health reasons but my brother could. So he did." Al paused. "Neither of us has ever worried about who would have been the youngest State Alchemist."

"It would have been you, Al. We know that. And you answered every question, I couldn't finish them all."

"But your arm was still new, Sis."

"It's not really an excuse Al. Your fingers weren't much better than mine." Ed grinned at her brother. "Now do you see why I didn't like that statue?"

Ralke looked from one to the other. "Hang on, you mean you sat the exam as well as your brothers? I never knew there were three of you."

"There aren't." Al said. "There's only ever been the two of us." Ralke was completely confused now.

"You're making this complicated, Al." Ed frowned at her brother. "Ralke, I am Edward Elric, Al's older brother."

"Sister." Al interposed and Edward glared at him.

Ralke went pale and he fell back in his chair. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope." Ed replied as they both shook their heads.

"You have to be joking. It can't be true. You're supposed to be dead! You're a …a… girl!"

Ed nodded. "Yes, I think it is pretty obvious that I am female and that I am not dead."

"But… but why are you sitting the exam? I mean, if you are the Fullmetal Alchemist, you shouldn't need to do this." Ralke was stunned and he was trying to understand how he had managed to get himself involved in all of this. His mind was jumping all over the place.

"I've been away for four years, Ralke. It wouldn't be very fair if I just walked back in and was reinstated without any effort. So many people put in a lot of effort and energy to get here. I'm not about to spit in their faces so to speak. Besides, it's a rule that a State Alchemist has to be reassessed annually. Having missed the last four, this is how I can be accredited again."

"But you're a girl as well."

"And?" Ed frowned slightly.

"It's just so weird. How can the Fullmetal Alchemist be female? Why aren't you dead?"

Ed laughed slightly. "I was a long way from here and there was no way for me to communicate with people here, that's why they thought I was dead, Ralke. And I'm female because of an alchemy accident."

"See? I told you people would freak out Sis." Al said with a smile.

"I still think it's not as big a deal as you say it is, Al." Ed retorted.

"It _is _a big deal…Ed." Ralke said and hesitated before using Ed's name. "I mean I heard so much about the Fullmetal Alchemist…you… as I studied. And your brother too. It's absolutely incredible that I am sitting here right now and that _you_ are here too. It's something I never even dreamed of."

Ed felt very uncomfortable. She wasn't used to this sort of reaction. She had never wanted any sort of public recognition. She caught sight of Al grinning at her, thoroughly enjoying her predicament. He was so dead later on and her eyes narrowed as she tried to convey the death threat. Al saw it and his grin widened.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang leant back in his chair, ignoring his paperwork as he thought again on Edward's performance. Edward had completely ignored the insult to herself and had focused everything on the insult to women being weak and not wanted in the military. Mustang was a bit grateful that Edward had handled it as she had. If it had been him, that jerk would have been reduced to a pile of ashes.

Edward had certainly developed an ability to handle herself around other people now compared to how unpredictable he had been in his youth. Mustang recalled more than a few occasions when he had had to smooth over some unpleasantness caused by Ed's lack of consideration for others, or by his complete lack of manners. But today she had been able to control a temper that Mustang knew very well was as volatile as the flames he wielded, and her voice had nearly stripped the skin from that jerk. The old Ed would have probably demolished the hall in his anger.

The dig at the end had been absolutely perfect too. And it worked so well because it was completely true. Not many people knew that Alphonse Elric had indeed answered every question on that occasion. Every one touted Edward as the child prodigy and forgot that Alphonse was just as clever if not moreso than Edward. When he had sat the exam three years ago, he had again answered every question and scored the highest out of all the candidates and had bettered his first results.

Yes, Ed had handled herself and the situation very nicely. Another reason for him to be proud of her he thought. Four years ago he had acknowledged feeling a respect for all Edward had accomplished and had felt the pride that went with overseeing the boy's growth from childhood to adolescence. He was feeling a similar respect for her now. She had moved into adulthood and her maturity and character had never shone brighter for him as it had in that hall today.

Tomorrow was the interview and the practical was the day after that. It would be very interesting to see how Ed fared over the next two days. As the highest ranked State Alchemist, Mustang was required to be at all alchemical testing procedures. He didn't think they would be as exciting as today had been but he lived in hope. Especially if that jerk gets through, he thought. He won't pass the practical, I can guarantee that.

Hawkeye entered and found him leant back in his chair with a small malicious quirk to his lips. He seemed to have found something of great interest on the ceiling. She coughed slightly and his eye focused itself on her as he shifted to look at her.

"Hawkeye, if someone called you a 'girlie', what would you do?" He seemed rather interested in her reply.

"Before or after I shot him, Sir?" Hawkeye said blandly. Mustang smirked at that.

"Someone called Ed that today," he said reflectively. He heard the sharp intake of breath from Hawkeye. "Actually he called her a 'crippled little blonde girl' as well."

"And the dead man's name is…?" Hawkeye asked in a firm voice. Mustang had known Hawkeye a long time and he could feel the outrage and anger she was concealing.

"Edward let him live…just." Roy smirked at the memory. "You'd have been proud of her, Riza." And he smiled, letting all the pride he felt show. Hawkeye blinked. This was the Roy Mustang she had missed for the last four years. She had to find out just what Edward had done to being about this reaction in him.

"Perhaps this will make you prouder still, Roy. The results are in," and Hawkeye smiled as she handed him the folder she had come in to give him.

* * *

That night as Riza curled up on the couch next to Jean, she kissed him lightly as she leant against him.

"What's that for, babe?" Jean asked, lazily content.

"I have a little bet for you. I bet that when the time comes, Edward stays with us and does not go to the Fuhrer's office."

"How certain would the odds be?" Jean asked with a grin.

"Very, hon. Let me tell you a little story of something that happened today." And he could hear the satisfaction in her voice.

* * *

Ed and Al ended up having a late dinner in the mess hall that night. After spending most of the afternoon with Ralke and showing him some of Central, they had parted ways and gone back to their dorm. But it felt quiet and too empty so they had raced each other to the mess.

Now they were seated at a small table and forcing the so-called mashed potato into geometric shapes.

"The angles are wrong, Sis. That's not an acute angle at all."

"It's my pyramid, Al. Besides your cube is rhomboid on that side."

"It's supposed to be."

"Then you'd better stop making those 90 degree angles on the other side then."

"Why don't you just admit that your pyramid is going to be cylindrical, Sis?"

"I'll do that when your cube actually looks like a cube."

Forks scraped over their trays as they kept building.

"Are you ready for tomorrow, Sis?" Al asked as he used his knife to shave one side of his cube.

"I guess." Ed paused and let her breath out. "It's hard to know what I'm going to say. That Chair is almost like being at the Gate. It wants the Truth."

"It's scary, the first time you balance on it. You can feel the alchemy all around you."

"Yes, I remember being scared and worried too. But I don't remember everything I said back then. There's like a gap in my mind."

Al nodded. "I think its part of the alchemy. I can't remember how I started but I remember finishing by saying that you had given everything up for me and that only by me becoming the best alchemist I could, would your sacrifices have had any meaning."

Ed looked at Al, her eyes wide.

"You said that?"

"Yes. As you said, that Chair wants nothing less than the Truth." Al looked a bit uncomfortable as he saw the expression in Ed's eyes.

"Have I told you today how proud I am of you, Brother?" Ed's voice was soft and her eyes glowed at him. It never ceased to amaze her that Al never saw himself as the wonderful, intelligent person that he was. He was always content to be at her side, to be her shadow. Four years apart and he was still happiest when he was with her. It was moments like this that always reminded Edward of exactly why she had and would sacrifice everything for him.

"I hope you didn't make the same mistake I did, Sis." Al said hurriedly, trying to distract her. That proud look on Ed's face made him self-conscious. He always felt that he was never good enough to be the object of such regard. Ed had suffered so much and given up so much just so she could keep every promise she had ever made to him. She had made him the centre of her universe and even after four years he could see it there still. Not as fierce or as demanding as it had been but there and Al knew it always would be there. Al knew that Winry had a large part of his heart now and he hoped that one day Ed would find someone too but the bond between them would never be lost.

"What mistake, Al?" Ed tilted her head and looked confused.

"In the written exam. I sort of got manganese mixed up with magnesium on one of the questions."

Ed blinked. "You did what?" Her breath puffed out. "How could you get them mixed up?"

"I didn't mean to. I only realised it afterwards as I was thinking back on the questions and I suddenly realised what I'd done." Al felt a bit flustered. "I think it was the only mistake I made" he said defensively.

Ed put a hand over her face and dragged it down the side of her face. She shook her head at him and grinned. "Well I don't think I made that mistake Al, so we should be right."

"Tell me honestly, Sister. How do you think you did today?"

Ed thought for a moment, mentally running over the questions and her answers. "I think I did well, Al. I can't think of any mistakes, no obvious ones anyway. I probably could have put more detail into a couple of the paragraphs perhaps but you really don't have that much time to write down all you want."

"Well, nobody has said anything and they only notify those who didn't pass the written so you must have passed, Sis." And then Al _smirked_ at her. "Oh, and Ed, my cube does look like a cube." And he pointed to the perfectly square white cube on his tray.

Ed's pyramid became a cylinder as it left her tray, powered by a sharp clap, and buried itself into Al's cube in a very messy display of the Elric temper.

* * *

The next morning Edward crawled out of bed and found that Al had chosen her outfit for the day.

"What the hell, Al?" She exclaimed as she looked at the black slacks and long sleeved white button up shirt. "Where's my t-shirt and jeans?"

"You're not wearing them today. This is the interview, Sis. You _have_ to be more presentable for this one." He looked at her. "And I think you should braid your hair too."

"What?" Ed looked at Al in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me Al! Since when have you been so worried about what I look like?"

Al avoided Ed's eyes and picked up the shirt. "If you don't like this one, there's a dark blue one here as well."

"Alphonse Elric." Ed's eyes took on a stern look and she glared at him. "Who put you up to this?"

"Umm, no-one Sis, honestly. Come on, you have to get ready or you'll be late." Al bundled up the clothes and pushed them and Ed into the bathroom and slammed the door. He leant against the door and slid slowly to the floor. Al wondered if he was ever going to be able to say no to Winry.

It had only been a casual mention during his daily call yesterday that Ed lived in that black t-shirt and jeans and nothing else that had set her off and had led to the ultimatum she had given him. Put Edward into some other clothes or else. That 'or else' worried him badly. Last time Winry had threatened him like that she had sent him large boxes containing a single nut and bolt every day for two whole months, freight to be paid on delivery. It had cost him a month's wages and complete humiliation at the office and he had vowed never to disobey another ultimatum again.

* * *

Edward frowned at the closed door and then at the clothes in his arms. Damn Al. He bet Winry had made him do this. He tossed the clothes to the side and turned the shower on. As if what he wore would make any difference. He glowered at the clothes. They'd better be comfortable. He was more nervous about today than he had been for the written test. Even the practical tomorrow didn't worry him as much as this did.

Ed looked in the mirror after his shower and stared absently at his reflection. What was he going to say? He couldn't say that he was re-enlisting because the Fuhrer had asked him to, even if it had been phrased as a dare. He gave a soft laugh. He was getting too worked up over this. The Chair would accept nothing but the Truth and Edward had never backed away from facing the Truth.

He put the slacks and white shirt on and frowned. He didn't like it. It didn't look right somehow. He picked up the dark blue shirt and held it up. He shrugged and changed shirts. That was a bit better he thought. He grimaced at the mirror. He'd wear the clothes but he was not going to braid his hair.

* * *

Ed and Al stood on the wide steps of Central Headquarters soaking up the weak warmth from the sun.

"Winter will be here soon, Sister." Al said absently as he looked across the square.

"Yeah." Ed was equally casual in her reply. And then her eyes suddenly focused on the people moving up the stairs. "Oh great, asshole at three o'clock, Al." She muttered.

Al turned his head and made eye contact with the dark haired stocky man from yesterday.

"So he passed the first stage did he?" Ed kept her voice low but an evil gleam lit her eyes. "Oh I so hope he makes it to the practicals."

"Sister!" Al protested quietly. "You can't do anything like that!"

"Just watch me, Al. I'm going to make him sorry he ever heard the word alchemy." Ed purred and Al rolled his eyes. He didn't think Ed could really do too much at the practicals, not with all the observers and adjudicators in attendance.

Al noticed the guy was still looking so he pulled out his State watch in an exaggerated manner and flicked it open. The guy paused and paled and then moved quickly into the building. Al smiled.

"I saw that, Alphonse Elric." Ed's eyes reflected the amusement in her voice.

"Who me, Sister?" Al opened his eyes wide and tried to look innocent. Ed laughed.

"C'mon, it's time to get this done." She said and led the way up the stairs.

* * *

Author's Note: I am sorry for cutting it off there. I was hoping to get the interview into this chapter originally, but the characters didn't want that and sidetracked me, so the interview and the practical are in the next one…and yes that chapter is turning out to be just as long as this one. I can't believe I got to thirty pages for a single chapter.

Thank you to all who have reviewed, I found the private reply thingy so I did that this time and to all those who are still reading this slow and drawn out story, thank you for putting up with me and it.

silken :)


	11. Balances and Bets

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Balances and Bets**

Ed and Al waited in the antechamber. The large engraved doors were just as she remembered them. She studied the carvings idly. The soft white wood gleamed and seemed almost luminescent. She couldn't help comparing this white door to the solid blackness of the Gate. Both ornamented, both leading into Truth, both requiring prices to be paid.

The line of applicants moved slowly and silently. There was no set order. Those that were here first went in first. They had been pleasantly surprised to see Ralke already there and he had been one of the first to disappear through the doors. He had looked extremely nervous and they had both smiled at him hoping to boost his confidence a bit. Edward and Alphonse were the only ones who knew what was behind those doors. And foreknowledge gave her no better chance of success than any of the others.

The asshole, as Ed continued to call him, was still waiting his turn. He didn't look at Ed and Ed amused herself by staring fixedly at his back. She could see his shoulders twitch every now and again as he refused to turn around and stare back. He knew she was there and he was trying to ignore her. He almost looked relieved when he passed through the doors. There were still some of the others giving her hard looks. While none of them were game to take her on, so to speak, they were all watching her, waiting for her to fail.

Ed and Al shuffled closer to the door and Ed began to take slow breaths, seeking to keep her nerves at bay. As the doors got bigger, Ed found her mind slipping into a relaxed state. She took another deep breath and felt the nervousness fade. She had been here before; she had stood before the Gate. She would go forward.

When it was her turn, she slipped out of her coat and gave it to Al. He looked a bit surprised, but Ed had a distant look in her eyes. He touched her shoulder and she smiled at him before walking to the door. Her gloved hands grasped the smooth handles and she pulled them open with the same confident action she had used eight years ago.

Al watched as she disappeared into the shadowed room.

* * *

The Chair was waiting; she could feel it through the darkness. Even before the light blazed onto the Chair she was already walking towards it, her footsteps echoing dully. The alchemic circle on the floor resonated through her and she stretched her hand out to touch the Chair. Her eyes closed as she felt the deep pull of alchemy.

She moved around and sat down, perfectly balanced and her eyes opened as she faced the panel.

Mustang sat quietly to one side, his eye narrowed. Eight years ago he had watched Edward sit here and seen the boy's nervousness and heard his hesitations. As the words had started, Edward's voice had strengthened and he had demonstrated an awareness and maturity unexpected in such a young boy. This time her eyes were almost glowing and there was a serenity he had never seen on an applicant's face. Even that look he had seen the first night of Ed's return had not held the depth it did now.

The Fuhrer's soft voice almost whispered into the silence.

"Why are you here?"

The golden eyes fixed themselves on his pale blue eyes and Edward's voice was calm and even.

"Because this is where I need to be. This is the place all my promises and sacrifices have brought me to. To give purpose and meaning to all those who have given so much of themselves for me."

"'Alchemist, be thou for the people', is it?"

"No, because there are people who have shaped my alchemy, who have shaped me and they deserve the best that I can be; they deserve all I have to give. They are the people I will always be there for."

"Some would see that as selfish."

"Balance requires both selfishness and selflessness. For me and for them. I have been selfish, I have been cowardly and childish. I have let others carry my burdens. I have given up everything for a brief glimpse at hope, I have fought to correct every mistake I made and I have striven to not let others suffer as I have."

Mustang watched as Ed and the Fuhrer talked. Her hair was gleaming gold in the light, the dark blue shirt the perfect foil for her golden brilliance. She sat there in the centre of an array so ancient and redolent of power it made the candidates shake. Elegance was never a word he would have applied to Edward Elric but it was the only word that seemed to fit the image she made. Elegant of appearance and elegant of manner.

The elegance suddenly disappeared as Edward absentmindedly brought her legs up and slid them under her, one at a time. Mustang blinked. Edward Elric was sitting on the Chair cross legged. Perfectly balanced on a single point.

"Obedience has need of sacrifice."

"There is always a price to be paid. Without that, there is no meaning to any service. You would not accept it otherwise."

"As you would accept it?"

"Eight years ago I sat here to uphold a promise to my brother. I swore then that I would accept all the good and all the bad that could and did come from being in service to the State." Ed paused and her voice slowed. "This time I have made no promises. There is only me here and I would never have sat here had I been unwilling to pay the price."

"Will you serve the State?" The Fuhrer softly questioned.

"Yes."

* * *

Edward stood blinking in the light outside Headquarters. Al was silent at her side. She was feeling a bit disorientated.

"That array has changed, Al." Ed murmured slowly, that distant look still in her eyes.

"How do you mean, Sister?"

"I could feel the array under my feet, Al. I don't remember that happening last time. When I sat on the Chair it was like the alchemy was lifting me up. It felt different to last time."

"I could feel the alchemy around me, but not like it was lifting me." Al frowned in puzzlement. "The array just holds the Chair in place, doesn't it Sis?"

"I don't think so, Al." Ed began to pace along the step. "The Chair is definitely linked to the array. I mean that central positioning is very deliberate. But the array feels like it goes deeper. I can see parts of the array and I know I saw it all when the light came on, but I can't remember how it links itself. Can you?"

Al blinked and thought, trying to picture the array. He shook his head. "No, I can't, Sis. I can't see it all clearly, just sections of it."

"I think that's the alchemy at work. Again, I don't remember all that I said in there either." Ed paused. "I might ask the bastard. He was there and he was there at my first interview and yours too, no doubt." Al nodded. "I wonder how his memory is affected, and he would've actually had to sit on the Chair for his own interview."

"You can ask, Sister." Al watched Ed frown in thought. He shook his head. She was always finding things to be curious about. Puzzles and questions she could immerse herself in. "Anyway, the practical is tomorrow and then it's all completed and we can really start on our research, Sister."

Ed smiled at her brother. She could see how much he was looking forward to that and knew that she too wanted to get back into the library. She really missed seeing and being surrounded by that wealth of knowledge and the wonderful smell of old books.

"One more day, Al. We'll make it through," and she raised her right hand in a loose fist and he met it with his left one. They shared a grin.

Ed smirked at him. "C'mon, you can buy me a coffee, Brother." And she began to run lightly down the stairs. Al laughed and chased after her.

"You are so going to owe me, Sister!" He called as he ran.

* * *

It was early evening when Brigadier-General Roy Mustang walked into his office and found Captains Hawkeye and Havoc waiting for him. Interview day was always the hardest and the longest for the examiners. The written exam and the practicals took less than half a day each, but the interviews took a full day and each interview differed as each candidate was different.

He fell into his chair and looked from one Captain to the other, one of whom had a better poker face than the other.

"What do you want?" He asked before adding, "as if I didn't know."

Havoc grinned at him. "So, how did she do, Chief?"

Mustang kept his face blank. "You know I am not allowed to discuss the details of any of the applicants' results or progress, regardless of their success or failure."

"Yes, but this is the Boss. We have a _duty_ to know how she's going."

"That or a large bet?" Mustang smirked. Havoc's grin got wider.

"Both, Chief."

Mustang smiled slightly. "Well, let us just say that Edward will be attending the practical examination tomorrow."

* * *

Roy Mustang sighed as he leant back in his chair. Everyone had left and he felt the tiredness sweep over him. Such a long day. He really should get up and go home but he was just too exhausted. It wouldn't be the first time he had slept on the couch.

Edward had again surprised him today. She had been so elegant and _balanced_. It was the only word that seemed to fit. She had sat on that Chair and let it completely support her. He had never seen or known anyone doing that before. Over the years he had come to see that when a candidate sat on the Chair, to maintain the correct balance both feet had to be placed at precise angles to the Chair. He realised that the placement of the feet and the Chair represented the three Tenets of Alchemy. The Chair represented Understanding; the feet representing Deconstruction and Reconstruction. If either of a candidate's feet were not placed correctly then the balance was destroyed and they failed. By balancing on understanding, deconstruction and reconstruction, a candidate then personified their knowledge of Alchemy. The array beneath the Chair would accept nothing less.

But Edward had been able to maintain a balance on Understanding alone. Something had to have happened to Edward during the missing years. There had to be something to explain it. Mustang did not like mysteries. He was definitely going to have a long talk with Edward. After the practical.

* * *

Edward stood in her sleep shirt and pants, looked at her brother and shook her head. "No."

"But you wore them yesterday."

"That was yesterday. Today is the practical and I am going to be comfortable for it. So, where are they?"

"Where are what, Sis?"

"You know what, Al. Where are they?"

"They're in the wash."

"You're lying, Alphonse."

"You can't wear them and that's final, Sister!"

"Then I'll go like this."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me Al."

"Fine, here they are."

"See Al, you _can_ be a nice brother when you try."

Ed braided her hair to placate her brother's hurt feelings.

* * *

Ed leant against the white marble façade outside Headquarters. Ed's eyes were slightly sombre as she watched the pennants wave in the light breeze.

"What's the matter, Sis?"

"I was just remembering... last time I did this. I thought I'd managed not to let it get to me." Ed turned sad eyes to her brother standing beside her and he sighed.

"Me too." Al looked up and watched a cloud scud across the sky. "She'd want you to do well, Sister."

"I know Al. Knowing you and … Nina were there for me certainly gave me the courage to walk through those doors back then."

They both fell silent for a moment.

"Of all the things I would change if I could, I think that would be first on my list, Al." Ed said slowly as she leant against Al. Al nodded in agreement.

"I'll pass this for her today, Al."

"Al! Ed!" They looked up and saw Ralke walking towards them, a nervous smile on his face.

"Hey Ralke. You got through the interview then." Ed said as she shook off her melancholy.

"Yes. I think that was the hardest thing I've ever done." He replied.

Ed and Al both nodded. "Yes. I think it's the hardest part of the whole process." Al said.

"But I can't remember everything I said there. I can't remember all the questions."

Ed and Al exchanged glances.

"It has to be the alchemy." She turned to Ralke. "You can't remember the entire array, can you?"

Ralke frowned in thought then shook his head. "No, I remember the waving line that bisects the Chair point but I can't recall the linking edge."

"That is some serious alchemy in there and I am going to see the bastard and pick his brains about it." Ed said with a determined look on her face.

"Major Elric!"

Ed and Al both looked around at the call. A blue clad soldier was standing at the top of the steps and waved at them. Al nodded in response and Ed and Al began to walk up the steps. Ralke walked with them, looking a bit stunned at the automatic reaction.

"All alchemists receive the rank of Major, Ralke, when they pass." Ed said as she noticed his expression. "You did know that, right?"

"Yes, but you _both_ turned." His eyes were still a bit wide.

"That's because I was a Major for four years, Ralke. It's a bit hard to forget. And he was calling my name." Ed grinned at him. Ralke was still having a few problems with realising that this blonde female had once been the Fullmetal Alchemist and male.

"Hey Falman. What are you doing here?" Ed said cheerily as they reached the top of the stairs.

Senior Warrant Officer Falman saluted Al and nodded to Ed. He spoke in his usual precise manner.

"Given the Brigadier-General's reticence in sharing the details of your progress in the examinations to this point, certain colleagues of his have decided that we should be in attendance to observe for ourselves, Edward."

Edward laughed and Al grinned at the staid officer as his face broke into a wide smile.

"Have the bets gotten that big, Falman?"

Ralke looked from one to the other, his eyes widening at the easy camaraderie between them. The longer he was with them, the more out of place he felt.

It was so different to anything he had known before. He had come from a small farm and after discovering an interest and an aptitude for alchemy he had decided that becoming a State Alchemist would be the perfect way to help support his parents. But Central had already unsettled him with its sheer size and the seeming hordes of people. The young blonde had caught his eye during the written exam when she had removed her coat and the reflected light from her arm had distracted him. Her complete confidence as well as the tangible aura she had displayed during her altercation with the stupid jerk had impressed him. And then to discover that she was _the_ Fullmetal Alchemist had been totally mind-blowing.

And now he was about to face the practical component of this exam alongside Edward Elric. He didn't think his family was going to believe him when he wrote his letter home.

"This is Ralke Gray, Falman. He's an applicant too." Al was saying as he came back to where he was. "Ralke, this is Senior Warrant Officer Vato Falman, an old friend of ours."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Gray." The two shook hands.

"And…and yours too, Sir." Ralke stuttered a bit.

They began to walk beneath the porticoed entrance. Edward looked very relaxed and Ralke was rather envious of her confidence. He had to keep rubbing his hands against his trousers as his palms kept getting sweaty.

"Back in a braid, Ed?" came a cheery voice. "Shame you still don't have that red coat of yours."

"Breda!" Ed exclaimed with a grin as they got closer to solid man. She tossed her head and let the long braid swing around. "Just for the occasion, Breda and I think the red coat would be pushing it a bit, don't you think?"

"No, I could get an extra bet off Havoc if you did."

"How much extra?" Ed said her eyes intent.

"Sister! No! You can't do that."

"But Al… I could change this coat and if Breda gets the odds down now before Havoc sees us…" Ed started to say.

"No, Edward. You're not betting on this." Al said firmly, even though there was a twinkle in his eye.

"I don't see why not. I'm betting everyone else has. Why can't I be involved too?" Ed pouted. "And just think how freaked out the bastard would be. C'mon Al, just this once." She looked at Al and opened her eyes wide and pleading. When the look didn't seem to be working, she frowned and said offhandedly, "Of course I could just not show up."

Al, Breda and Falman stared at her. "You can't do that!"

"Gee, all those bets would be worthless then, wouldn't they?" She said airily and looked at her gloved fingers nonchalantly. "Wouldn't they, _Al_?"

Al gaped at his sister. "How did…?"

"Oh c'mon Al. You always participated in the bets." Al spluttered at Ed and waved his hands in exaggerated denial.

Falman and Breda looked at Al in shock. "No, he didn't." they said in unison.

Ed grinned. "Ahh, you didn't know he would get Fuery to place them for him?"

Falman and Breda looked at Al and then at each other and then back at Al. "No wonder Fuery always seemed to win so many." Breda said outraged.

"You never said anything about it Sister." Al said.

"Of course not." Ed smiled at him. "You enjoyed it, I wasn't going to stop you." It had always pleased Ed that her brother had been able to join in with the office like that. It had been just another way that his humanity had been reinforced.

It took Al, Ed and Falman two minutes to decide how much they were going to bet and they even managed to get Ralke involved. Money changed hands and Breda took off to get the bet set with Havoc.

Ed clapped and changed the pigments in the coat from blue to red. She even put the Flamel across the back and Al inspected it closely to make sure it was as it used to be. With a wicked grin she did the same to her jeans and turned them black. Ralke had heard of Ed's alchemy technique but this was the first time he had seen it and he was still staring when Breda returned with a wide grin.

"Perfect, Ed. I even got Hawkeye to put some on too." Breda laughed as the others gaped at him.

"Hawkeye? You are a walking dead man, Breda." Ed stated.

"Oh no, she's on our side. It was thanks to her that Havoc _doubled_ the stakes." Breda's grin turned positively evil and they all burst out laughing.

* * *

Edward Elric walked through the halls to the parade area that had been set aside for the practicals. Dressed all in black and wearing the red coat, with her hair braided and her confident manner she garnered a fair amount of attention. Some recognised the outfit and they stared with startled faces and whispers followed her. Ralke was bemused as he walked with them. She looked exactly like he had always pictured the Fullmetal Alchemist to look like. Except for the female thing, he thought. To Havoc, Hawkeye and Fuery it was like seeing a ghost reappear in front of them.

"You set me up!" Havoc cried the minute he managed to get his jaw off the floor. The others laughed and Breda had his hand out and open.

"Pay up."

"You're being premature, Breda. There are still bets pending." Falman said.

"Jeeze, how many bets do you have on this damned thing?" Ed asked.

"Just a few, Ed." Fuery piped up. "We haven't had such an opportunity since Havoc finally got the nerve to ask Hawkeye out."

"Man, the bets back then were enormous." Breda gloated. "And now, what odds on the Chief's reaction to Ed's appearance?"

They all fell to haggling and again monies changed hands rapidly.

"Do they always do this?" Ralke asked Ed quietly.

"You have no idea, Ralke. These guys will bet on anything." She replied with a fond smile as she watched them. Then she spoke up.

"We have to go now, guys, so we'll catch you afterwards."

"We'll be watching, Edward. Fuery found us a place in the galleries above." Hawkeye grinned. "Make us proud."

"Always, Hawkeye." Ed replied and looked at Al. Al came close and gave Ed a hug.

"For Nina," he whispered and Ed nodded. She pulled away and smiled at him. Then she turned to Ralke.

"C'mon Ralke, let's do this." She led him through a short passage and out onto the parade ground.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was standing beside the Fuhrer, his eye wandering over the candidates as they began to arrive. It was always interesting watching the expressions on their faces as they saw the mountainous piles of materials awaiting them. Many were also overwhelmed by the size of the parade ground and being surrounded by the large marbled complex that was Central Headquarters.

A flash of red from the small group of candidates entering caught his eye and he froze. That wasn't… it couldn't be. He blinked and the people walking in obligingly parted and there it was.

A blonde in red and black. A golden braid and a red coat over black. A singular whistle caught his attention and the blonde's as well. With a swirl of red and gold the blonde turned and waved to the cluster of blue on the galleries above. He saw the black symbol on her back and he saw his crew and he had to fist his hands deep in his pockets. He couldn't decide which of them he should flame first.

He saw Ed scan the group of adjudicators and overseers. He met her laughing eyes and wide grin with a dark frown before he managed to regain his usual blank expression. She winked at him and turned to the man by her side and pointed at him and said something. The young man looked startled and Mustang recognised him from the written test. He looked a bit disconcerted at whatever Ed was telling him.

The Fuhrer was watching Edward as well. The red coat and blonde braid were instantly recognisable and having seen the grin he realised that it was also a deliberate choice on Edward's part to wear it. Judging by the tenseness and the sound of grinding teeth he could hear from the Brigadier-General beside him whatever Edward had planned was working all too well.

The candidates stood around and waited. When the last one had arrived, the Fuhrer took a step forward.

"This is the final stage of the State Alchemy Examination. With the materials before you, you must demonstrate to the best of your ability what you are capable of doing. There is no limit on what you may attempt, although we do ask that all damage be repaired afterwards."

He saw the brief flash of white teeth from Edward and saw the golden eyes flick to Mustang. The Fuhrer couldn't see the expression on Mustang's face but he did see Edward's eyes narrow in response. He stepped back into his place and prepared to watch the rest of the proceedings. He was very interested in seeing Edward's alchemy.

Fuhrer Sterben did not miss the sudden tension in both Edward and Mustang as a stocky dark-haired man moved forward. He watched as Edward took a step back and slid behind the young man she was standing next to. She ducked down and pressed her hands together before touching the ground lightly. Her coat stopped most of the glow of her transmutation being visible and she straightened up and moved back to her original position.

A startled noise from the stocky man had the Fuhrer holding back a grin. The ground around him had suddenly become soft and he had sunk to his knees. Fuhrer Sterben looked to Edward and saw the feral grin on her face as she watched. She hadn't interfered with the man's actual alchemy and therefore the Fuhrer felt he had no reason to step in. Judging from the silence at his side, he knew that Mustang agreed with him. The Fuhrer had heard of the altercation at the written exam and this little demonstration of Edward's had told him the rest.

Several of the applicants had moved away and were drawing their circles near the provided materials. One young man erected a small dam and another was pulling glass shapes from the piles of sand to one side. The young man who had been beside Ed had moved to the dam and was twisting the water into flowing patterns around his circles.

"What is that man's name?" One of the observers asked and pointed to the stocky man.

"Newman, I believe." Came the reply from another.

"He's having a bit of problem there isn't he?"

Newman was still caught in the soft ground. He was trying to get out of it but it seemed to be following him. Mustang and the Fuhrer both hid smiles when they saw Ed kneel down again and then the muted flare beneath her coat. Ed's eyes gleamed and her smile widened as she straightened up and moved casually to be near a pile of large earth and rock. She positioned herself to be facing the stocky man and watched him reach the end of the soft ground.

Mustang was rather pleased with Ed's restraint. If she had kept doing that, she could have been accused of sabotaging another applicant's chances. He could see that she had more planned. That smile on her face had never meant she was merely happy. It usually had 'I'm so happy that you are going to die now' attached to it.

Edward deliberately clapped loudly and slapped her hands on the ground with a blinding flash. The piles of earth and rock sank into the ground and began reappearing in smaller piles of their separated components. She was ignoring them and watching as the stocky man stared at her.

He took a few steps towards her. His eyes took in the red coat and the braid.

"How did you get in here?" He hissed.

"The same way you did." Ed stood up and met his angry stare calmly. "You know, with intelligence and skill and talent."

"And those little piles are the best you can do?" He sneered at her. "It doesn't take much talent to do that."

"I know, but I like working with pure materials." She smirked at him. "And I have yet to see what you can do."

He glared at her and she kept her gaze steady and amused. He pulled out his piece of chalk and began drawing a circle. She kept watching and saw his line wobble slightly. Her smirk grew wider. As long as she didn't actively do anything no-one could say she was interfering and Ed was being very careful and making sure everything she did was in full view of the official observers.

She clapped and laid her hands on the ground and several small piles disappeared and then rose in a steel structure of a four legged tower with curving sides. She smiled and knew no-one here would recognise her small replica. Another clap had the tower falling into a molten river of iron as the carbon was leeched out.

"Stop that!" The stocky man's voice rose and she looked at him. "How can I concentrate when you're doing that? Why aren't you drawing circles?"

"I don't need to, and I fail to see how I am distracting you. I'm just demonstrating my alchemy like everyone else is." Ed opened her eyes wide and clapped again, placing her hands on the ground. The tower rose up again, this time it was taller and it shone with silver tones as she combined more elements into it. "See, a bit of chromium and some nickel and it becomes stainless steel. Let me remove them and the carbon and make it wrought iron. And then maybe some manganese. A nice strong steel that makes." And Ed clapped and a different pile shifted and slipped across to the tower. It melted again and again as she changed the balance of the components, rebuilding it each time. Newman stood and stared as the tower kept changing.

"I like metal, it can be so versatile." Edward looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "But it gets a bit boring after awhile." Ed clapped gently and laid her hands on the ground. The metal tower folded into itself and sank into the ground and then rose up again but this time it was white. Ed reached out and snapped a little piece off.

"Would you like some more chalk?" She said with a grin and then she began using other minerals and alloys. Silver, aluminium, brass, copper, and even the base rock from the parade ground. And she never drew a circle, she just clapped and touched the ground and the tower shifted and transformed every time. That red coat and long braid began to get on his nerves. They shifted in sheets of colour with every clap and slap of those gloved hands.

"You want to be a military dog that much, do you?" He snarled at last. His words echoed across the grounds.

"Your being here indicates a similar ambition." Ed said non-committally. She could see Mustang and the Fuhrer watching with interest from the corner of her eye. The observers who had been walking around the applicants began to gather behind them and they had all moved closer.

"Military service shouldn't be cheapened with theatrics like that! Dressing up in that outfit! Don't think I don't recognise it. You have no right to wear that here and to play-act with this childish demonstration."

"Demonstrating the knowledge and ability to manipulate elements is the whole purpose of today. Whether I build little towers or do something like this!" And Ed clapped sharply and her hands hit the ground. It rumbled and the piles of materials began to slide across the trembling earth, twining around and over themselves in smooth fluid metallic ropes as they thickened and shifted upwards. A large figure began to appear. Two legs hardened as the liquid metals ran upwards to form the larger torso and chest plate. Outwards the arms formed and then the helmet. The metals gleamed in the sunlight as the fifteen foot suit of armour solidified.

A burst of cheers and whistles floated on the wind and Ed had to bite the inside of her cheek to avoid looking towards the galleries. Standing next to the Fuhrer, Mustang actually smiled. To see that armour standing there and the shorter red-coated, golden braided Elric beside it was simply perfect.

Mustang managed not to laugh at the expression on Newman's face. He was staring at the armour in disbelief and then at the blonde who was looking at it with a fond expression on her face.

"And I have every right to wear these clothes. They go so well with the armour." Ed smiled lightly.

"Maybe you deserve to be a dog of the military. You certainly aren't a _proper_ woman!" He sneered at her. "You're just a worthless dog."

Ed stood straight and her eyes went cold. Mustang and the Fuhrer both tensed and watched carefully, Mustang pulling his gloved hand halfway out of his pocket.

"Shall we see what happens when you try to judge the worth of a military dog, asshole?" Ed asked in an icy voice.

"Dog of the military! Ha! More like the military's _bitch_!"

In a split second Edward had clapped and dropped to the ground. At the same time Mustang drew his hand fully out and snapped.

Earth and flame erupted around Newman. He screamed as heat burnt his skin and the ground exploded around him. Spikes rose up and encircled him and flames burnt on every one of them.

Ralke and the others looked completely shocked. Edward had told Ralke earlier when she had pointed him out that Mustang was the Flame Alchemist and he had been suitably impressed but he had never expected to see him in action. The one-eyed Brigadier-General stood there with his arm outstretched and gloved fingers poised to snap again. Less than ten feet away the golden blonde knelt, her gloved hands on the ground. And both had identical expressions as they watched the screaming man. Cold eyes and blank faces.

The Fuhrer looked at the burning spikes and took note of their placement. One spike was roughly two feet outside the circle. Edward had placed it there specifically for Mustang to aim at and use as the mark for his changed perception. She had known that his fast reaction would have allowed him no time for his eye to adjust. He looked from one to the other. It had been a co-ordinated attack and neither of them had planned for it.

The Fuhrer marvelled again at the ties between these two. Being able to react in unison like that told him volumes at just how well these two knew each other on an unconscious level. Four years of working together had laid foundations neither of them was aware of.

"How long will that burn for, Brigadier-General?" The Fuhrer asked in mild tones.

"I have no idea, Sir." Mustang replied in a pleased tone.

"Until the coal is consumed." Ed said as she stood up.

"Coal?" The Fuhrer questioned.

"Yes, there was some in the materials, so I added it to the spikes. It should burn for hours, with any luck." There was a sense of satisfaction in her voice.

Although Edward could be technically guilty of provoking Newman, she hadn't done so with malicious intent. It had been more to cause a petty irritation. Newman had lost his self-control and his comment had been totally improper. Had he actually been in the military, he would have been demoted and severely reprimanded for it, if he hadn't been dishonourably discharged.

The Fuhrer thought he heard a muttered 'serves him right' from the Brigadier-General's direction but when he looked, Mustang's face was as blank as it had been.

Ed brushed her gloved hands together. A satisfied smirk crossed her face as she watched the fire burning. Newman had stopped screaming and it sounded like he had moved to the whimpering stage. By curling up on the ground he could avoid being actually burnt by the flames, but the heat generated was slowly blistering his skin. Neither Mustang nor Edward was inclined to let him out and with the Fuhrer seemingly condoning their actions, there was no-one who would help him.

"Look out!" The alarmed shout came from the back of the applicants and everyone turned.

The dam that had been constructed earlier had split from the side supports and water had begun to rush out on either side. Edward automatically rushed forward and Ralke went with her. Water was his specialty and he veered to one side to draw his circle while Edward went the other. Simultaneous reactions sparked and the water halted.

On Ralke's side it twisted in a circle, flowing around in a continual pattern. He controlled the spiralling movement while he drew another circle. The water frosted over slowly and crumbled into small snow-like flakes that melted as they fell. He was smiling softly as he watched them.

Ed had turned the water on her side to ice. And in the middle of the frozen flow she had constructed a ten foot ice sculpture. Of Brigadier-General Roy Mustang.

It stood in his classic attack pose, arm outstretched, head back, back straight. She had combined the water with copper from the ground because the transmutation circles on the gloves were outlined in copper and a banner slung over his shoulder had cupric coloured words written in bold across it. There was complete silence.

"The Ice Bastard."

Someone read the words in a hushed whisper and everyone heard it. The applicants didn't understand what was happening but all the military personnel did. They looked at the Brigadier-General who appeared as frozen as the statue. His eye was staring at the blonde and if looks could kill, they all agreed she would have spontaneously combusted at that point.

She was looking at the statue with a small smirk on her lips and then she turned to face him. Her eyes gleamed and she seemed completely unaffected by the intensity of his glare. The smirk widened as they stared at each other and when he raised his hand and snapped she didn't move.

The statue behind her melted and disappeared in a fiery flash of vapour and steam. When he snapped again she had already dropped to the ground and the flames passed over her head as she slapped her hands to the ground. The earth under Mustang became soft and he let himself slip down and snapped to encircle her in flames. A bright flash came from inside the fiery ring and Edward disappeared. Mustang turned, carefully keeping his balance in the soft dirt, and found Edward right behind him, reappearing from the hasty tunnel she had constructed.

Her automail blade flashed silver and he leant back to avoid her rushed attack. As she spun past him he reached out and grabbed her long braid pulling her off-balance. The soft dirt she had trapped him in now hindered her as she tried to twist out of his grip but couldn't get a solid footing. She fell against him and his feet lost their precarious balance in the soft earth. He began to fall and he pulled her down with him. She put her right hand out to brace herself against him and realised that it was still in its blade form. She twisted away and found herself falling backwards.

Mustang automatically wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist and hoped the loose sanded area was large enough for them both. Forget the loss of dignity, he thought, he just wanted a soft landing at this point.

It was and Mustang found himself sitting in soft sand with a lapful of blonde.

Before either of them could say anything and judging from the glowering frowns everyone agreed the verbal sparring would have been just as spectacular, the Fuhrer approached and looked at them both sitting there.

"An interesting demonstration…from you both." He smiled. Very interesting, he thought. They had gone straight from inflicting retribution on a bigoted idiot into an altercation based on some obscure facet of their intricate relationship. The Fuhrer had long ago discounted one-upmanship and had never seen any malice between them. It would appear they did it simply because they _enjoyed_ it and that to the Fuhrer made it more than interesting. It became downright amusing.

"Thank you Sir." They muttered reluctantly, unwilling to be impolite and suddenly very aware of everyone looking at them. Breda's distinctive whistle made them both look across to the gallery and they could see the exaggerated waves and hand movements from a group of very happy friends.

"I hope you got a bet on this, Bastard, because I want half of it." Ed muttered.

"You're the one prancing around in that old outfit, shrimp. I deserve half of yours." Roy replied.

Ed made to stand up and the Fuhrer extended his hand to her. She paused before sliding her left hand over the automail blade and returning it to normal and then accepted his assistance. She felt the sudden coolness at her back as the warmth from Mustang disappeared.

Mustang shivered slightly as the loss of Edward's warmth left his lap feeling suddenly empty. He stood up and carefully stepped out of the soft sand. He watched as Edward dusted herself down and forced himself not to do the same. He felt he had already provided enough of a spectacle without having to add to the complete undoing of his public image.

The Fuhrer looked at the other candidates who had been watching with varying expressions ranging from shock to disbelief to outright horror. The condescending expressions Ed had been receiving had disappeared but the Fuhrer could still see a few biased eyes.

"Brigadier-General, if you would be so kind as to invite your Captains to join us." The Fuhrer said in a quiet voice without taking his eyes from the group in front of him.

Mustang saluted. "Yes Sir." He motioned a corporal over and spoke briefly and indicated the gallery before turning back and waiting beside the Fuhrer.

"Elric, while we are waiting, if you wouldn't mind clearing this mess up?" The Fuhrer asked in that same quiet tone. Edward looked at the Fuhrer and saw his mouth twitch and wondered what he was planning.

"Yes Sir." She said composedly. She clapped her hands and knelt down to place them on the ground. A small wave rose and shifted across the parade ground and the damaged areas flattened themselves out and the materials returned to their original positions. The flaming spikes sank into the ground and she watched the replica of her brother's armour disappear with a wistful expression on her face. When she had finished she stood up and took her place next to Mustang.

The sound of marching feet had her turning and she watched as Hawkeye and Havoc arrived and saluted the Fuhrer and then Mustang. She saw Al and the rest of the crew sneaking across as well.

The Fuhrer stepped forward and raised his voice so all the applicants could hear him. His eyes looked from one face to another as he spoke.

"Every year the State holds these examinations in an effort to offer anyone who wishes a future with the Military as a State Alchemist. Years ago, only one or maybe two would be chosen from the many who applied. Now we are able to offer places within our ranks to the ten highest placed applicants.

"This year, we have our first female applicant. I am aware that it has caused some dissension amongst a few of the other applicants and I find myself hard-pressed to understand why. The Military has never discriminated against anyone wishing to be a part of it. There are many women in the military. A State Alchemist is given the rank of Major which means that you will be answerable to higher ranked officers, some of whom will be female. However, there are others who may not be of higher rank but are of greater experience and you will be answerable to them as well. Such as Captain Hawkeye here."

The Fuhrer waved his hand in Hawkeye's direction and the applicants looked at her. Several of them swallowed and others turned pale. Ed hid her grin; Hawkeye had her 'office' look on…the one that said 'disobey me and die.'

"I want it clearly understood by each and every one of you. _I_ will not tolerate any further disagreements over whether women have the right or the talent to be in service. State Alchemists have not always had the best of reputations and I am not interested in individual glory seekers. State Alchemy needs strong people with the courage of their convictions and the ability to learn and to adapt and to serve honestly. And I don't care if I have to refuse each and every one of you and hold these exams again to find the people we need."

The Fuhrer's voice was firm and every word was clear. The candidates listened and watched as he spoke. Ed and the others at the Fuhrer's side kept their faces blank but they saw the understanding ripple from face to face. He had certainly made the State's position very clear Ed thought, and was very pleased with it. It would shut up the bigoted morons and hopefully there would be women applying for next year's exams.

"This examination is now concluded." The Fuhrer stated and walked over to the group of officials. Mustang followed him and the group moved away towards one of the many marbled buildings.

"So what now?" Ed asked. "Do we just wait here?"

"No, there's a small foyer where you can wait. They don't usually take too long to decide." Havoc said. "See, they're rounding them up now." And he indicated a couple of sergeants directing the applicants towards a different door.

"I suppose I'd better go with them then," Ed said. Before she could move Al gave her a sudden hug.

"Al?" Ed said hesitantly as her arms came up around him. He shook his head and said nothing as he squeezed her tight and then let go. She looked at him puzzled and saw the shadow in his eyes. Struck by a sudden thought, she knelt down pulling out the piece of chalk she had transmuted earlier and drew a circle. Al sucked in his breath as he recognised it. He knelt down next to Edward. Her fingers lightly touched the edge and small silver stems sprang up around the rim of the circle. Slowly they twined around each other and delicate leaves and flowers unfurled in a glistening display.

The silver wreath lay on the circle. Al leant against Edward as they looked at it.

"Magic flowers," they whispered together.

* * *

Ed leant against the wall in the small foyer. There was a muted hum of voices from the other candidates as they waited. Her eyes scanned the room idly. No-one was game enough to stand too close to her and she had hidden the smirk when a few of them had actively avoided her eyes. The Fuhrer's words had had a marked effect and it was showing. That and the fact they had seen her take on a Brigadier-General, Ed wasn't sure which had had more impact.

"Coffee?" A voice asked and she blinked to see Ralke standing there with two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Sure. Thanks Ralke" Ed smiled and took the black coffee he offered.

"I remembered you had it black the other day. I hope that's okay?"

"Its fine Ralke, I always take my coffee black."

Ralke looked around the room. "So how long does it take before you find out if you're accepted or not."

Ed shook her head. "I have no idea, Ralke. When I first did this, it was left in the hands of your sponsor and they told you if you passed or not."

"A sponsor?" Ralke asked.

"Yes. You had someone in the military that would back you for the exam and afterwards you'd be assigned to them as part of the arrangement." Ed shrugged. "I don't know when they changed it."

"All I had to do was fill out the application forms and send them in. Then they wrote back and asked me to come here for the exam and organised the fare and accommodation for the four days."

"Amos, Devin." A voice called and everyone turned. The door at the end had opened and a sergeant had appeared. One of the applicants walked forward and was ushered through the door.

"And so it begins." Ed murmured, before saying "Well, if you pass, you'll get a dorm. And they'll feed you. The food in the mess hall isn't _too_ bad. I guess if you fail, they'll give you a ticket home."

"You'll pass, Ed." Ralke said.

"I hope so, Ralke. But I've learned never to take _anything_ for granted. It only takes one person to disapprove and you could find your whole exam brought into question." She looked at him. "At least the pressure isn't as bad now. Last time, as the Fuhrer said they accepted one, maybe two out of everybody. Ten gives you better odds, that's for sure."

"It's still hard to wait." Ralke said as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't see how you can be so calm about it."

"I can't change anything and neither can you. You've done everything you can and there's nothing more you can do. If I have learnt one thing in my life it's that you can't go backwards. You've always got to go forward." Ed looked at him and her voice had dropped slightly. She was being completely serious and he could see things in her eyes that he didn't want to see.

"Bren, Roger." The voice called and another candidate disappeared into the other room.

"Besides, you can always sit it again, you know." She smiled teasingly at him.

"Who'd want to do that?" A voice asked from behind Ralke. They turned and saw an older man standing there. Ed looked at him curiously. He looked older than any of the other candidates. His hair was actually receding on the left side of his head.

"The name's Lasen and I don't really care that you're a woman. What I want to know is why you think you can get away with wearing that outfit."

"It's comfortable." Ed replied bemusedly. "And anyone who really wants to become a State Alchemist is surely going to try again if they didn't make it the first time."

"I don't know, Ed. Now that I know what it's like, I don't know if I'd have the nerve to try it again." Ralke said thoughtfully.

"That's not an answer, girl." Lasen said firmly. "Do you know what that outfit means?"

Ed tilted her head and looked at him, puzzled.

"It's just clothes. How can it have meaning?"

"That outfit is what the Fullmetal Alchemist wore. The Fuhrer spoke of the reputation of Alchemists. Well, he did more to change that than anyone else and I don't think it right that you show up today wearing that." Lasen glared at her as he spoke as if expecting her to refute everything he said.

"Crowley, Grant." Every time a name was called, conversations became hushed.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist did not set out to change anyone's perceptions of Alchemists or alchemy in general. He had a goal and everything else was secondary to it. He stuck to this outfit in a stubborn fit because it pissed off his superior who would sometimes try to force him to wear the standard military uniform." Ed smirked slightly.

"You talk like you knew him." Lasen accused.

Ed nodded. "I do." She handed her empty cup to Ralke and pressed her hands together. She laid her hands on her coat and then her jeans, returning them both to their original colours, but she left the Flamel on her back. Lasen looked surprised. He had seen her alchemy outside but he hadn't been this close to it.

"You really don't need circles!" He gasped. "And how can you know him? He died four years ago and wearing that outfit is disrespectful!"

"I haven't needed circles for years, and I grew up with Fullmetal's brother." Ed grinned slightly. She was enjoying playing this little game and Ralke was being obliging enough not to say anything to spoil it. "And today those clothes helped me win a bet and the Fullmetal Alchemist has always appreciated a good bet."

"Dayel, Van." The voice called again. Ralke looked at Ed. Her name would be called out soon. He found himself starting to smile as he remembered his reaction to hearing who she was. He wanted to see how the room reacted. He was rather surprised that she had managed to keep it secret this long, until he realised that she had had very little contact with the other applicants. They were all billeted in the same hotel and he had seen most of them at either breakfast or dinner for the last couple of days. But Edward was staying in the dorms with her brother. She hadn't seen any of the others outside of the exam.

"A bet?" Lasen looked outraged.

"Which reminds me, we'd better catch up with Breda after this, Ralke, so we can collect." Ed turned to Ralke. "I know they'll all be waiting outside for us."

"You dressed like that for a bet?" Lasen's voice rose slightly and several people turned to look.

"Yes." Ed said calmly. She sighed, taking care not to sound too theatrical. "I fail to see how my attire has any bearing on this at all. No-one really cared when I wore it four years ago so I don't see why wearing it now is such a big deal."

The area around her went quiet as they heard her words. Ralke watched eyes widen.

"Elric, Edward." The whole room fell silent.

"Catch you on the other side, Ralke." The blonde said cheerfully as she began to walk to the door. Every eye in the room followed her. Mouths were agape and several men forgot to breathe. The blue coat flowed behind her and the golden braid swung as she moved with an easy grace. She saluted the sergeant at the door as she walked through.

Lasen turned to Ralke as the door closed.

"That was _the_ Edward Elric?" He asked, completely stunned.

Ralke nodded. "Yep." He smiled slightly. "I didn't believe it at first either."

* * *

Edward walked across the plush carpet to stand in front of the Fuhrer and his aides.

"Elric, Edward.' The sergeant repeated and a folder made its way along the line to the Fuhrer. He held the folder loosely in his hand as they stared at each other. There was no nervousness that he could see but neither was there an air of smug acceptance. As Edward had told Ralke earlier, she never took anything for granted now. She could only go forward.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant-Colonel Elric." The Fuhrer said with a smile.

Ed smiled in response and let her breath out in silent relief. She had passed. She had never doubted it, but she knew better than to believe in certainties. She saluted the Fuhrer.

"Thank you Sir."

Footsteps approached from the left and she turned slightly to see Mustang. He held his hand up and something glittered in his palm. She caught it as he tossed it to her with a smirk. A new shiny silver watch, still warm from his hand.

"Welcome back, Fullmetal."

* * *

Edward stormed down the passage leading from the room to the outside. That damned Mustang and his damned smirking face! How dare he throw the watch like that …again. Just because he had done it before didn't mean he had to do it this time. I'm not twelve anymore, Ed thought furiously. Dammit, that damned bastard had sucked all the satisfaction out of passing with his little bit of fun.

She blinked in the sunlight as she came out from under the arched passage and looked around for Al and the others. She saw them clustered nearby and walked over to them.

"Sister!" Al saw her first. "Did you pass?"

Ed's smile swept away her frown and Al rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her hard. The others hurried across and she was passed from one to the next for a round of hugs and congratulatory pats.

"Why the frown, Ed?" Havoc asked.

Ed's eyes flared and her voice rose. "That arrogant bastard _threw_ the watch to me, again. Just like last time, the bastard! And he smirked!"

The others laughed. Ed was never going to change, they thought. The practical had been wonderful for them to watch. They had regretted that Hawkeye had not had her rifle when Al had told them why Ed was targeting the stocky guy even though Hawkeye had said she could have hit him from their balcony position with her handgun. The minute they had seen the ice statue a whole new wave of betting had started and it had even engulfed the other spectators as well. Al won with the tunnel, and Fuery won on points when Mustang did not brush himself down afterwards. All in all, Mustang's crew were very pleased with both Edward and themselves.

Ed looked around at them and had to smile. They had watched her grow up, they were never going to change. They knew her better than she knew herself. They had taken care of Al while she had been gone and she was never going to be able to repay them for that. She knew they didn't see it as something needing to be paid back, and Ed didn't see it as an exact debt owed as such. They were her friends and if they needed her then she would be there to help.

She caught sight of Ralke behind the group and slipped around to see how he had done. He was standing there looking at the watch in his hands and he was obviously in a state of absolute shock.

She smiled wistfully, half-wishing she could have felt that sense of euphoric accomplishment. She walked over to him.

"Congratulations."

He looked at her. A wide grin split his face in two and his eyes were wide and awed.

"I can't believe it. Can you believe it? Look, I have a watch!" He held his cupped hands out to show off his watch and Ed had to hold back a laugh. He was just so overwhelmed with it. He saw Al approaching behind her and he had to show him as well. Falman and Breda, who had met him earlier came over and offered their congratulations as well. He was introduced to the others and everyone saw the step back he took when he was introduced to Hawkeye.

Ed laughed. "It's ok, Ralke. That look she had on earlier; it's just for the office."

"I could always make an exception for you, Edward." Hawkeye said sternly and then smiled at them both when the others laughed.

"Did you pass, Ed?" Ralke asked hesitantly and then smiled when she nodded.

"We're all going to a little pub we know to celebrate. You're more than welcome to join us, Ralke." Al said.

Ralke shook his head. "Thanks but no. I've got to tell them back home and the hotel only has one phone. I want to get there before everyone else starts using it."

"Mr Gray, as a Major now, you can use the military phones here." Falman interjected. They watched as his eyes widened and his face flushed.

"But I've only just gotten this. I don't even have a uniform or anything." Ralke stammered.

"It doesn't matter, Major. The moment you were given the watch you became a State Alchemist. You are now a member of the military and as such are entitled to all of its facilities." Falman lectured and the others smiled. "Tomorrow you will be issued with a uniform and be allocated a dormitory. After a week of inductions and getting to know your way around, you will be given your posting."

"Falman, why don't you just take the boy to a phone and finish the lecture on the way?" Havoc drawled.

"Does that mean I am going to get a uniform too?" Ed asked with a grin.

A silence fell on the group and they all turned to look at her with predatory eyes. Ed took a step back and looked at them warily.

"Edward," Havoc purred. "You will be issued with the female uniform." Edward looked at Havoc and nodded hesitantly. Yes, she understood that would happen. She had seen Hawkeye in that uniform and it was basically the same as the men's one. But that gleam in Havoc's eyes was making Ed nervous. "The female uniform comes with the trousers … and a skirt."

Ed blinked and started to shake her head.

"Ed, we could get a killer bet going here." Breda and Havoc took a step closer to her. "Just think, you wear it to the office next week and we can get the Chief good and proper."

"Hell, we could get half the military." Breda added.

"You guys have got to be joking." Ed spluttered. "There is no way I am wearing a skirt!"

"It's not a mini skirt, Edward." Falman offered. "I believe it falls to knee length."

"I don't care how long it is! Do you know how weird it feels to wear a skirt?" Ed protested.

A chorus of "uhh no's" arose as the men all backed away and left Ed standing there face to face with Hawkeye. Hawkeye looked at Ed and then looked at the cowardly group. She smiled and they all froze. It was not a good smile.

"If Edward does not want to wear the skirt, then she doesn't have to." She stated.

Havoc wove his head from side to side in his distress at being denied this opportunity. "But babe, this is the chance of a lifetime. You have to see that. The Chief's face when he sees the Boss in that skirt is only going to happen once. We _have_ to do this. It's our _duty_." He pleaded with her and then his eyes lit up. "I know! You can wear yours too."

Everyone ran. Falman and Al grabbed Ralke and said "I'll show you where the phone is" at the same time and dragged him towards the closest door. Breda and Fuery shouted "we'll help!' and followed them as fast as they could.

Ed backed away and made to run too but Hawkeye's bullet chipped the ground near her feet so she stayed where she was.

"That was sneaky, Jean." Hawkeye said in an amused voice after she made sure they had all disappeared.

"I had to get rid of them somehow, babe." Havoc smiled lazily at her and Edward gaped at them.

"Well Edward, shall we?" Riza turned to Ed and asked.

"Shall we what?" Ed blinked and looked totally confused.

"Wear our skirts, of course." Riza grinned at her. "As Jean said, it's an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime."

"Are you serious, Hawkeye?" Ed exclaimed, the colour draining from her face in a rush.

"Completely. Jean will set it up and after what just happened they'll think he has no chance of winning. He should be able to get a month's wages from each of them."

Ed rubbed her fingers across her forehead. "I can't believe this, you two are regular con artists, aren't you? How often do you do this?" Ed stared at them.

"Not often enough to get caught." Riza actually smirked at her. "And if you do tell anyone I will shoot you."

Ed shook her head and simply stared at them.

"So Ed, do you have any stockings?" Riza asked.

* * *

Ed and Havoc were subdued as they all sat in the pub. Al asked Ed what had happened but Ed had gone pale and shaken her head violently. No-one had asked again.

Ed had her hands wrapped around a small whiskey and was watching as Breda tried to get Al into a drinking contest involving arm wrestling. Fuery and Falman had started a discussion on whether some new regulations regarding communications use was truly in the best interest of the military. Ed was quite impressed with Fuery as the discussion evolved into an argument and he started to become very emphatic and loud after he had another beer. Havoc and Hawkeye were sitting together and also watching Breda and Al. They laughed when Breda lost again and had to down another glass. Ed smirked. Al had never lost at arm wrestling that Ed could remember. Breda was going to be totally wasted in less than half an hour if they kept up this pace.

Ed nursed her drink for awhile. She just couldn't get into the party mood. She knew the others were putting it down to the 'trauma' of seeing whatever Hawkeye had done to Havoc but she knew it wasn't that. She could feel the reassuring familiar weight of the watch in her pocket and she could see the silver chain attached to her jeans. She had passed, she had succeeded again and it just felt a bit empty. She knew the others were pleased and proud of her and she did feel satisfied but there was something missing.

She slipped outside during a raucous burst of laughter and leant against the wall. She looked up at the darkening sky and absently followed the sunset lines across the clouds before taking another small sip from her glass. She had taken a liking to scotch on the other side of the Gate despite most of her acquaintances drinking beer; she had found it rather bitter. But the smoothness of scotch had appealed and she didn't have to drink gallons of it to get the fuzzy warmth inside. The whiskey in her glass was the closest she had found to the flavour she had liked on this side of the Gate.

"Are you ok, Edward?" Hawkeye asked.

"I don't know, Riza." Ed said slowly, not completely surprised by her appearance. "I just feel like something's missing."

"In what way, Ed?" Riza leant against the wall next to her and looked at Ed.

"I think it was seeing Ralke's reaction this afternoon. I never felt that… that happiness. Not today and not back then." Ed paused. "He was almost euphoric. I guess I'm a bit jealous."

Riza smiled. "I don't think you need to feel jealous, Ed. It meant a lot to him to pass, yes. But it meant just as much to you. I remember what you were like back then. Barely twelve and already so focused. Maybe you didn't react like Ralke did today, but when you received that watch you were just as happy as he was. You just didn't show it."

Ed looked at her and tried to remember what she had felt when Mustang had tossed that first watch over the desk at her. Yes, she had felt a surge of something and she had clamped down on it straightaway and made a smartass comment to cover it. She had been too afraid of it, she hadn't felt she deserved to feel that happiness, not after what she had done to her brother. And today? Had she felt something similar or had it all just been relief that had flooded through her?

"I guess I was." She said in a slow voice. "And today too, it wasn't just relief I felt when they said I had passed. I felt satisfied too."

"You need to learn how to let those feelings out, Ed." Riza smiled at her.

"It's always been easier to cover them up. With smartass comments or getting angry. And you have to admit, the bastard didn't have to toss me the watch this time." Ed said slightly defensively. "It made me feel like I was twelve again and that really sucked all the fun out of it."

"No, he didn't have to do that. "Riza agreed.

"Is this another female thing, Riza?"

"No, this is a human thing, Ed." Riza replied. "And you are pretty good at that."

"Well at least I finally get to wear those damned pyjamas now." Ed said after a small pause.

Riza laughed softly.

"It's not funny, Riza. Those damned things have been hanging there all week staring at me." Ed looked at her. "But wearing them will mean I really did pass today. It's so weird, they're like a reward for passing."

"And that is why I said not to wear them until now, Ed." Riza explained. "Women will do that. They will buy something special, something they wouldn't normally get and they make it the reward for whatever they have to do."

Ed's eyes opened wide. "Really?"

"Yes, really. We don't do it all the time, and some of us rarely do it at all. But every now and again when you feel like you need an incentive, doing something like that helps us."

"I don't think I've ever done anything like it before." Ed frowned.

"No, men don't seem to need a reward system like that. They tend to be more 'I want, I get'." Riza grinned. "But men will use a form of reward buying, Ed. Instead of keeping it at home, they'll wait until they feel they've done whatever they need to and then they'll go and buy it."

Ed leant against the wall deep in thought and Riza watched her. Expressions chased themselves over Ed's face until a loud burst of laughter from the pub disturbed her. Ed looked across and frowned slightly.

"I don't really feel like going back in there, Riza." Ed said softly. "But I can't ask Al to leave yet."

"Go home Ed, and Jean and I will bring him back later." Riza said understandingly.

"Are you sure, Riza? I don't want to impose on you."

"You're not, Ed." Riza smiled. "Seriously Ed, you have done more than well and not just today. We are all very proud of you. Now go home, put on those pyjamas and enjoy being Fullmetal again."

Ed shook her head. "The Fullmetal Alchemist in red silk? You'd better hope that story never gets around, Riza." She laughed quietly and Riza joined in.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang stood in the shadows beside the pub. He heard their quiet laughter and stayed hidden until they had gone their separate ways. He had been unsure about coming down to the pub. It had become rare for him to venture out into a social setting over the last few years. The last time had been when Havoc and Hawkeye had officially announced their relationship and that had been nearly a year ago. He knew they would all come here to celebrate Edward passing the exam and he had decided that it was his duty to be present. After all, Ed had been one of his crew and she would be again.

He had only caught the last few sentences of their conversation but he had not failed to notice the subdued sound of Ed's voice. And the pyjama reference was totally incomprehensible to him. Red silk? When was the last time he had been anywhere near red silk? Or silk of any colour for that matter.

Mustang turned away and began to walk back to his apartment. If Edward wasn't staying then his reason for being there had just disappeared. His footsteps echoed hollowly as he paced slowly.

Today had been good he thought. It had been very enjoyable to take care of that loud-mouthed idiot. The little skirmish with Ed had also been fun too. It had removed the small tensions he had been feeling from three days of watching the examinations. The expression on Ed's face when he had tossed the watch to her. He smirked again and then faltered. There had been something other than anger in her eyes. Hurt? No, he shook his head. Ed would never let something like that hurt her. She'd have been more upset if he _hadn't_ tossed it, he thought.

Red silk. The words echoed in his ears. When _was_ the last time he had seen red silk, he wondered.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you again to all the wonderful reviewers and all those reading this. It's Monday and there have been 27 reviews for chap10 already, I just don't know how to thank you all. (Wednesday editing and the reviews are at 28, you lot are just brilliant.)

Yet another long chapter and not where I wanted to end it, but then I'd have been pushing 40 pages for this chapter if I had…lol…I had actually planned to have Ed in those pyjamas by now, but it is in the next chapter, which again is growing exponentially. The last was 30 pages, this is 36 and the next is… long.

So again, thank you so much for allowing me to waffle and let the characters move as they want to instead of my trying to push them along to places they just don't want to get to yet.

silken :)


	12. To Be Forgiven

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 12: To Be Forgiven **

Edward Elric stepped into his dorm and closed the door behind him with a small sigh. It felt empty without Al here but he knew Al was enjoying himself with the others and it would have been unfair to drag him away.

Ed pulled the silver watch from his pocket and held it in his hand. He looked at it and smiled.

He had passed the exam. He had become Fullmetal again. He really was back with all the people he loved and had missed. He was _officially_ back. After feeling slightly out of place because of his 'death' he could now claim to be alive and well and do all he and Al wanted to do. He had a future in the place he had always wanted to have one in. He had been so afraid that he would be forever condemned to being on the other side of the Gate without ever seeing Al again, without ever being able to do alchemy again.

Today had been a good day. He felt happy. Hawkeye was right, he didn't really show it. Only to Al and even then he had filtered it through his guilt. He had never had a problem displaying anger, but sorrow and joy had always had to be hidden. The softer emotions, the ones he felt he was not entitled to admit to feeling because monsters didn't deserve those emotions. And wasn't he a monster for what he had done to his brother, for what he had attempted and failed.

And wasn't he a sinner for not being able to save her.

He slipped the watch back into his jeans and then reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the silver wreath.

He looked at the wreath in his hands. He had been so driven back then, so determined to get his brother back to normal. Nina had given him a reason to smile, a reason to feel like a normal person. He had thought himself grown up until that night. He had lost his arrogance the day he failed Nina.

He blinked as light reflected off the delicate silver flowers. He had the right to feel sorrow, he reminded himself and he had the right to regret. And he had the power to redeem himself. He had failed Nina, he was never going to be able to redeem himself for that, but there was another one he had failed. Maybe he didn't deserve the forgiveness or redemption but he had the right to ask and he would.

Ed looked out the window, it was still early evening, not even dark yet. He thrust the wreath in his pocket carefully and scribbled a quick note for Al before rushing from the room with a determined look in his eyes.

* * *

It took him nearly an hour to find the place and now he stood outside the small house he remembered. He had only been here a couple of times before and he had spent twenty frustrating minutes on the phone lying to some officious secretary in Personnel making sure they were still here.

It was much darker now and he began to think that maybe he should have done this tomorrow or even next week instead of rushing off in his old impetuous manner. The confidence he had had when he had left the dorm had vanished and he was left with an empty hole in his stomach and the over-riding desire to be anywhere else but here.

His hands shook and he had to try twice before he could make himself knock on the door. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and he walked around in a circle to try and control the nervous fidgets. He wrung his hands and then fisted them tightly as he considered turning and leaving.

The door opened and warm light spilled over the porch and Edward stopped moving. The woman in the doorway looked out at the blonde and her eyes scanned the pale face and long braid, the blue coat and the tightly clenched gloved hands. But it was the golden eyes she came back to, nervous and guilty over a deep sorrow.

Gracia Hughes smiled gently as she stepped forward.

"Welcome home, Edward."

Edward Elric collapsed.

* * *

Roy Mustang stood in his bedroom and looked at the long black silk pants in his drawer. Before that night four years ago he had worn them every night for sleeping in. Just the pants, no shirt. He had never really felt the cold, his body temperature had always been on the warm side.

He reached out with one hand and felt the coldness of the smooth material. He didn't remember them ever being that cold before. They had always seemed as warm as he had been. He had stopped wearing them because he couldn't bear to have his scars exposed and he had kept on wearing the baggy shirt and striped flannel trousers they had given him at the hospital.

Had it really been that long since he had touched silk? He closed the drawer gently. There was no place in his life for silk anymore.

* * *

"Damn, this is embarrassing." Edward muttered and Gracia laughed gently as she returned to the room with a fully laden tea tray.

"It's not embarrassing, Ed. It's rather a compliment."

"I don't see how, Mrs Hughes. I've done nothing but cry for twenty straight minutes, I've made your dress all wet, you've made tea and I haven't done anything to help." Ed sniffed and scrubbed at her swollen eyes again as more tears slipped out. "And you wouldn't believe how much my head aches."

Gracia put the tray down and sat next to Ed. She took the crumpled tissue from the hot sweaty hand and replaced it with a fresh one and then looked straight into the red blotchy face.

"Ed, don't you know? People only break down like this with people they trust, with people they care about." Gracia explained in her soft voice. "It makes me proud that you would see me as someone you trust."

Ed's eyes opened wide and she looked horrified. "But...but you can't... I mean it's all my fault that… that… Maes …no you can't…" and Ed dissolved into tears again. There was no hesitation as Gracia wrapped her arms around Ed and pulled her close. She rocked her gently and felt the tears soaking through her dress again. Ed couldn't see the tender amused smile that creased her lips as she kept the soothing motion going.

"When was the last time you cried, Ed?" She asked with a gentle interest in her voice.

Ed hiccupped and tried to think. She blew her nose noisily and felt her head throb.

"After…" Ed faltered as she tried to remember. She remembered the tears she had cried for failing Nina that night, and she hadn't shed any since then…except… "While I was away… a couple of years ago… and when I got my arm back."

"But that was nothing like this was it?" Gracia said calmly and Ed shook her head. "Then you were overdue for this, Ed. You can't keep it all inside. And no-one is going to think the worse of you if you cry when you need to."

Gracia paused and took a breath before continuing.

"Edward, if I had a sens for everyone who has blamed themselves for Maes' death, I would be very rich by now." Ed's eyes went wide and she pulled her head back to look at Gracia. "Listen to me, Ed. It is not your fault that he died." Gracia raised a finger and placed it on Ed's lips to stop her from interrupting.

"No-one could have stopped Maes from doing what he did that night or any night. He had a promise to keep and he was always determined to keep his promises. I know my husband, Ed and he was a very stubborn man."

"But…but if I hadn't…" Ed was still upset.

Gracia smiled. "Maes was made for Intelligence work, Ed. Whatever you think you had to do or shouldn't have done wouldn't have changed anything. Maes would always know, that is how he was, Edward. His job was so very important to him. I knew that before I married him." She paused and she looked almost shamefaced. "I was so angry with him after he died. He was my world and he left me. I blamed him for dying, for not being here to see Elysia grow up. I was so ashamed of myself."

Ed shook her head and shifted from Gracia's shoulder to sit beside her. "No, there's nothing to be ashamed of there." Ed paused. "Two years ago I did the same thing. A friend of mine…died and I was angry. Very angry, I hated him for dying on me like that. It shouldn't have been him anyway, he was trying to protect me and died in my place." Ed's voice was small but then she turned her head and looked at Gracia. "I can't remember what I did after that but I'm told it involved a lot of alcohol." Her lips twisted slightly. "And then a friend came round and beat some sense into me. He told me that 'we can always redeem the man who aspires and strives.' I really hated him too, for a while."

Gracia gave a soft laugh. "You had a very good friend, Ed. It sounds like something Maes would have done." She smiled as she looked across the room, her eyes distant. She missed the flinch that crossed Ed's face. "I couldn't break down, Edward. I had Elysia to look after. I couldn't let Maes down by having her see me fall to pieces. I couldn't let anyone see." She paused briefly. "I went a month feeling so cold and frozen and then Riza came around. She took Elysia for three days and left me with a bottle of whiskey in exchange." She smiled and turned back to Edward. "I think I managed two glasses and spent the rest of the time in tears."

"Riza is one smart lady." Ed muttered.

"Yes, she is." Gracia said softly.

'_By not telling you or anyone what we were doing we could keep you safe.' 'There is nothing in this world that could have stopped me or Al.' _Ed heard the words echo in her mind.

"And I am one stupid, stupid idiot," Ed whispered as she lowered her head.

"You're no more an idiot than I am, Edward." Gracia said softly. "We're just human." She rested her head against Ed's and they sat in a strangely companionable silence.

"Edward?" Gracia said after a while.

"Hmm?" Ed muffled another sniffle.

"When did you become female?"

* * *

Roy sat in his large armchair near the fire and looked at the flames. He swirled the whiskey in his glass with a slow lazy movement. He sighed and took a large swallow of the smoky liquid.

He had just come to the disconcerting realisation that having Edward in his lap had been the closest he had been to a woman in nearly four years. In fact, it had been the closest he had been to _anyone_.

After he had left the hospital and returned to work, he had found that he still had the Mustang magic and had been able to steal women from Havoc and have random telephone numbers appear on his desk. He also found out rather quickly that they did not want to see what was under the patch or the bandages.

And he discovered that they were willing to ignore the scars as long as he kept them hidden and they could be seen as being out with the infamous Flame Alchemist. It had been yet another disillusionment and it had hit him three months after leaving the hospital during a dinner at an upmarket restaurant, when the woman he had been with had said _"don't do that Roy, people will see"_ as he had begun to brush his hair back from his face. He had left without a word.

Dawn had found him at the cemetery, sitting in the rain and talking to Maes. Never again, he had promised himself. Never again was he going to going to let himself become vulnerable, open to that sort of hurt. He had lost enough, he wasn't going to lose again. Everything had become ashes.

He had spent two days in bed with a streaming cold and when he had returned to the office Hawkeye and Havoc noticed the change. He ignored the phone numbers, he began to refuse the many invitations he always received and then he didn't go to the pub with the rest of them after work. He knew they had watched with barely concealed concern as he began to close himself off to the people around him.

Home became his sanctuary. He lifted his glass and tipped the remainder of it down his throat.

He remembered the sense of loss he had felt when Ed had left his lap. That warmth of having someone to hold, he hadn't felt that for a long time. He nodded at his empty glass. Yes, it had been pleasant to hold onto someone, to feel them against you. He looked across the room to the other armchair. Hell, it would even be pleasant just to have someone to talk to. Maybe he should go with the others to the pub next time.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

* * *

Edward used her alchemy to reheat the tea and Gracia had taken Ed to a small bathroom to clean her face and now she sat there with a cold flannel in her hand. Every now and again she would press it against her eyes to help reduce the swelling.

"This is so embarrassing, Mrs Hughes." Ed said again, apologetically.

"Call me Gracia, Ed. And we've already been over that." She smiled at the reddened swollen eyes. "I'm just glad to see you back here. And I know Elysia will be too."

"Actually, she's why I came over." Ed said hesitantly. She stood up and reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the wreath. She bit her lip and held it out to Gracia. Gracia let the delicate silver rest on her open hands.

"Edward… I …"

Edward kept her eyes on the wreath.

"You remember … Nina. She was here the day Elysia arrived. She was there when I passed the alchemy exam. I don't know if Maes ever told you about …what happened to her."

"Yes, he told me." Gracia said in a sad voice.

"I couldn't help her. I couldn't save her. I was too late, I should have realised but I didn't." Ed paused and took a breath. "I know, I'm not to blame but back then I thought I could save everyone. I thought that I knew everything. I had survived something no-one else had, I had just become the youngest ever State Alchemist. I was only twelve and everyone was calling me a prodigy, a genius."

Ed reached out and let a gloved finger trace over the delicate silver.

"Failing Nina taught me not to be so arrogant. Failing Nina taught me that there was a difference between what I thought I could do and what I actually was able to do." Ed looked at Gracia. "I passed the exam again today and the magic flowers I once made for Nina…I'd like Elysia to have them."

"Edward, you don't have to do this."

"I know, Gracia." Edward knelt on the floor in front of her. "And I know you don't blame me for …Maes, but I am always going to feel that it was partly my fault. When my friend died, I felt so worthless. Losing him taught me that sometimes all you can do is accept what others will do for you, no matter how much it hurts. I never want anyone to learn that lesson the way I did." Ed pointed at the wreath.

"I can never forget what happened, I will never be able to repay Maes for what he did for me and Al. But I can be here for Elysia… if you'll let me."

Gracia balanced the wreath on one hand and laid the other on Ed's cheek. She leant forward and pressed a small kiss to the pale forehead.

"Maes would be very proud of you, Edward."

* * *

Roy poured himself another drink and slumped further into his chair, his legs stretched out.

When had he become so anti-social, he wondered. He could have stayed at the pub tonight. Just because Ed had left, didn't automatically mean he had to leave as well. The others would have been pleased to see him there. They were his colleagues. He had known them for years, he worked with them, they supported him, they made fun of him, they made him smile and they were his friends.

He had never been one to run from the truth. He had closed himself off in this little refuge of his. He didn't know when it had become so lonely in here. Ever since Edward had incited the little firestorm in the courtyard that first day, he had found it hard to return to his comfortable complaisant state. Every time he managed to get some semblance of his quiet controlled life back Edward Elric would slam straight through it. He didn't recall her being so disruptive in the early days, but then he had always sent them off on missions and errands.

That's no excuse, he told himself. Back then I had goals and even a social life. Back then… I was alive.

* * *

It was just after eleven when Edward got back to the dorm. Al had not returned and he wondered where he was, but he wasn't too worried. Riza and Jean wouldn't let anything happen to Al. He smirked, not if they still wanted him to co-operate with that bet.

He tossed his coat over the chair and walked into the bedroom. There they were. Those damned pyjamas. He ran his hand over the silver chain attached to his jeans and slipped it out of the loop as he stared at them.

He looked down at the watch. It was strange to see it so shiny. His old one had become dulled and scratched and he had known the origin of just about every dent it had. This was so bright and pristine he was almost afraid of it. He hefted it in his hand and felt the familiar weight as it shifted in his palm. He flicked it open and smiled as he saw the unmarked inner lid. He didn't think he would be engraving this one. He had nothing he needed to remember this time.

He placed it on their shared dresser and turned to the pyjamas. His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward with an almost grim look on his face.

* * *

In the bathroom, he washed his hair, he shaved his legs, and he took his time and found himself relaxing into the now familiar routines. He could feel himself starting to smile as the water stayed hot and he stayed under it.

Tomorrow he could start on their research. He would be able to access the libraries again. If he hadn't been distracted by the exam he would have been more upset at not being able to accompany Al into the library. But now he could go with Al and they could work together like they used to. Ed smiled through the water. He couldn't wait.

He turned the taps off and stepped out of the shower, reaching for his towel.

Ed smiled at himself in the mirror and nodded. Yes he thought. I am happy that I passed the exam. I am happy that I am back here. I am happy, very happy, that I went and saw Gracia tonight. Damn I'm even happy to be working with the bastard again.

He slipped the silk trousers on and he froze for a moment before he slowly reached for the shirt and slid his arms into the sleeves. He began doing the buttons up and his eyes slowly rose to look in the mirror.

Red, sleek red in the same shade as his old coat. It felt like soft water on his skin. He ran his flesh hand down his side and felt the cool smoothness. It warmed under his hand. He had never felt anything like this before. He looked at the pyjamas in the mirror. They gleamed in the light and as he moved the material flowed with him. He lifted his hair up and turned to look over his shoulder at his reflection. Shimmering red silk all down his back.

Ed walked slowly out of the bathroom. No wonder Hawkeye had insisted he buy them. The feeling was incredible. It reminded him of the first time he had shaved his legs. When he had pulled his jeans on afterwards he had been struck by the immediacy of the material against his freshly shaven skin. This was comparable to that except it was all over his body.

Ed stood in the middle of the bedroom. He looked down at the pyjamas and he looked over at his new silver watch. Suddenly he threw his arms out wide and spun in a circle, his loose hair flying out and a wide smile on his face.

"I passed! I fucking passed!" He shouted. "Fullmetal is back!"

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was in his office early the next morning. He was not in a good mood. A long night of self-examination had made him irritable and tired and he had a headache.

His crew all seemed to be in high spirits and judging from the snippets of conversation that he could hear, Breda had been completely wasted and Fuery had threatened Falman with a salt shaker during their argument. And he had then apparently challenged Al to an arm wrestle. And now they were talking about yet another bet.

His crew was so predictable he thought. They had obviously managed to get Ed into that old outfit for one yesterday and who knew how many wagers they had managed to set up during the practical.

"He's still trying to get that bet going, Kain."

"It won't happen, Breda." Fuery's voice was rather subdued this morning and he kept rubbing his forehead when he wasn't clutching his stomach.

"I reckon a month's wages from each of us will do it and if we put a limit on it say…like next Friday, he's never going to win this one. I mean it took him six months to ask Hawkeye out."

"I think Havoc has a gambling problem." Fuery said quietly. For some reason he had a tic in his left eye that twitched every time his head throbbed.

"We should take him for all he's got to teach him a lesson… and then see that he gets some help," Breda said with a pious smile.

* * *

Edward stumbled out of bed and stretched luxuriantly. She smiled as the red silk shifted with her. It had been very strange to feel how slippery the silk was as she had lain in bed, but it was just so comfortable and warm.

"Wow, Sister." Al stood in the doorway and stared. Ed was wearing those pyjamas and with her hair loose and flowing around her, he was rather stunned at the picture she made. Gold and red, all smooth and vibrant. He blinked. This was his _sister_, this was _Edward_. He had seen Ralke look at her, he had seen others look at her. He had even acknowledged that Ed was now a rather attractive woman. But this. His sister was beautiful.

"Al?" Ed was waving her hand in front of his eyes, slightly worried at the blank expression on his face. "Al? Are you ok?"

"It's the pyjamas, it has to be." Al said dazedly.

"What about them?" Ed asked, her forehead crinkling in confusion.

"They…they … Ed, they make you look beautiful." Al stuttered.

"What?" Ed's voice rose.

"Were there any blue ones where you got them from?" Al asked, still rather dazed.

"Blue ones?" Ed looked at her brother. "Al, how much did you have to drink last night?"

"You think Winry would look that good in them, Sis?" Al asked, his eyes nearly glazing as he began to imagine Winry in silky blue pyjamas that matched her eyes.

* * *

Ed was attaching her watch to her jeans when Al came back in the bedroom after his shower. He had regained his composure and had hurried into the bathroom the minute Ed had finished.

"Library today, Al." She smiled at him and rubbed her hands together. "This is going to be so good."

"Don't you think we ought to get some breakfast first, and maybe collect your uniform as well?" Al asked as he frowned at her jeans and t-shirt.

"We can get breakfast on the way, Al, and the uniform can wait."

"No, it can't and you need to have a decent meal, Sister. I know what'll happen. Once we get to the library you won't eat anything for the rest of the day."

Ed pouted at him. "But we could be there already."

"No, Edward." Al said firmly.

"Fine," Ed replied sulkily and grabbed her coat on the way to the door. She stopped and turned back to Al, looking a bit puzzled. "Hey Al?"

"Yes?"

"Where do uniforms come from, anyway?"

* * *

They went to the mess hall first and Ed hurried Al along, wolfing down her breakfast in a controlled feeding frenzy.

"C'mon Al. We're wasting library time." Ed was fidgeting as she waited for her slower brother to finish.

"Why are you in so much of a hurry, Ed?" Al swallowed his bacon and continued. "I mean it's not like the library's going anywhere."

"It did last time Al." Ed retorted quickly and then met his eyes and laughed. "I am being a bit impatient aren't I?"

"No, Sis. You're being a lot impatient." Al said with a grin.

"I'm sorry Al, I just want to get back in there." Ed apologised and fidgeted some more. "It's been four long years Al, I'm entitled to a bit of impatience aren't I?"

"Do you think we ought to report to the Brigadier-General before we leave?" Al said in the blandest voice he could manage. His eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them as he looked at his sister.

Edward Elric stood up and slammed her hands on the table. Soldiers turned their heads at the sudden metallic clamour, some obviously thinking a tray had fallen to the ground. Instead they saw a blue coated, long-haired blonde leaning over a table and glaring at a darker blond.

"If you don't finish that right now, Alphonse Elric, I am going to force feed you with my fist!"

Eyes widened. That was Major Elric? They had heard of him even if they had rarely seen him. He travelled extensively and did a lot of research the gossips said. The youngest Major in the military since he joined, since his brother had died. Oh yes, his brother was the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist. Did you hear what happened to that statue, by the way? Is that the blonde responsible and the same one who took on the Ice General? The whispers reached the ears of the two Captains just entering the mess hall. Blue and sherry eyes gleamed and they watched with interest.

"You haven't been able to do that since you were seven, Sister."

The gossip and whispers stopped and then started again. Since when did Major Elric have a sister?

"Watch me Al." The golden blonde's voice dropped a tone and the more impressionable shivered slightly at the impending threat of violence. Grey and gold eyes were locked on each other. Al could see Ed's impatience, he knew just how she felt and he hadn't been able to resist teasing her. So now he smiled and said calmly.

"Loser gets to wear their uniform for a week."

"They have corrupted you, Al." The golden blonde said clearly. "One condition, no skirt."

"Agreed."

"I believe you are under medical advice not to spar for another six weeks, Edward." A calm voice spoke into the silence.

The soldiers looked around. A blonde Captain stood near the door. They all knew her but their attention was diverted by the name she used. 'Edward?' Where was there an Edward here?

"C'mon Hawkeye, I won't tell if you don't." The golden blonde replied without turning around.

Word association was an interesting thing to watch thought Jean Havoc as he leant against the wall behind Hawkeye. He watched as it happened. A small wave of widening eyes passing along the tables and then the dropping jaws as soldiers began to join the dots. They had heard it. The Major had called the blonde Sister, that made her an Elric and she had responded to the name Edward. Edward Elric.

"No, Edward. This is one time when you will obey orders." Hawkeye said firmly.

Edward sighed and glared at her brother before turning to look at Hawkeye. "You're not being very fair, Hawkeye."

"I know." And her eyes twinkled.

"The bet can stand until then, Sis." Al said as he stood up. "Come on, we can go now, I'm finished."

Edward shot a nasty look at her brother and met his guileless eyes. She couldn't stop the smile as she shook her head.

"I am so going to kill you, Brother."

The soldiers watched in complete silence. Was it a coincidence? Was that really the Edward Elric or did she just have the same name? Was the Fullmetal Alchemist back? Was he female?

"Hey Al, Boss." Havoc called as they walked towards the door and he stepped forward. "Where you off to now?"

"To get Sister's uniform and then the library," Al replied with a smile before Ed could say anything. Havoc's eyes lit up and he opened his mouth.

"Do not say it Havoc. Not one fucking word." Edward growled as she walked closer.

"But Ed…!" He wailed.

The blonde head just shook in refusal, the golden tail waving as they left the mess hall.

"Was that Edward Elric?" Someone said in a hushed whisper.

Havoc nodded. "Yep."

"The Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"Yes."

"Female?"

"Uh huh."

The room broke into noisy conversation as the gossip and stories began. Havoc looked around with a gleam in his eye and sat next to one small group. He saw Hawkeye leave and he leant forward.

"You know, I had this idea for a bet…"

* * *

Al showed Ed the way to the Quartermaster's stores where the uniforms were distributed. She had never collected a uniform last time. She didn't even know if they had issued one for her. There had been more than enough jibes about her height and the impossibility of a uniform being small enough to fit her that she had stayed in the red and black and never considered changing it.

They stood in the small line and watched as boots and belts were handed out. Ed started fidgeting again.

"Stop that, Sis." Al hissed. "It's not going to make time go quicker."

"I know, Al." Ed muttered. "But I just feel the day is slipping away and we'll never get there."

"Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, how are you today?" Asked a composed voice behind them and they turned.

"Falman. Hey. Good to see you." Ed said with a smile before she noticed the men following him. All of whom had silver chains at their hips.

"You missed the beginning of the induction, Lieutenant-Colonel Elric." Falman said in a stern voice. The new alchemists behind him couldn't see the twinkle in his eye.

"I was with Captains Hawkeye and Havoc, Senior Warrant Officer Falman, otherwise I would have been in attendance." Ed replied with exaggerated formality.

Al watched them and saw Ralke smiling in the small group. Al waved at him and got a wave in return. The other newly minted Majors were watching with a mixture of awe and confusion. They had spent the last hour following the grey-haired officer as he had spoken of regulations and policies and protocols in a steady stream of information. The sheer size of the complex had disorientated them. The calmly spoken officer who was leading them was so composed, and the fact that he was not even carrying any notes was freaking them out. They had been hoping for a brief respite while they waited for their uniforms to be issued but now they had come up against the blonde who was apparently _the_ Edward Elric.

"Collecting your uniform, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"Yes I am, Senior Warrant Officer."

"I wasn't aware you knew the way, Lieutenant-Colonel."

"The Major was kind enough to show me, Senior Warrant Officer."

"And do not go there, Falman," Edward said firmly as she saw the gleam in his eyes.

"Captain Havoc is determined."

"Captain Havoc is deluded."

Al sniggered quietly.

"Shut up Alphonse." Ed said.

"It can't have been that bad, Sis." Al protested.

"Al, do you recall how Hawkeye trained Black Hayate?" Al nodded and Falman smiled at the memory. Then both men's eyes went wide.

"She didn't?" They exclaimed.

"It was worse." Ed said solemnly.

"Next." The short fat Sergeant-Major behind the counter called without looking up from his supply sheets and Ed stepped forward while the other two exchanged stunned looks. "Name and rank."

"Elric, Edward, Lieutenant-Colonel."

The man looked up and saw a blonde woman leaning against the counter while she watched a Senior Warrant Officer and another blond.

"We don't appreciate jokes like that in the military." He said in the firm voice of one who had seen more than his fair share of recruits and smartass soldiers.

Golden eyes met his and there was no laughter in them. "Just as well I'm not joking then, isn't it?"

He looked down at his papers and shuffled quickly through them and went pale as he found the corresponding sheet.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." The Sergeant-Major apologised calmly.

"Ma'am?" Edward repeated and looked as if she had just swallowed a lemon. She turned to Al. "Ma'am?"

"Tell me that is _not_ what they are going to call me." She demanded of both Al and Falman.

"I am afraid so, Lieutenant-Colonel." Falman said. Al had turned away slightly and was pressing his hand to his mouth.

"Alphonse." Ed said in a low voice.

"Yes Ma'am?" He barely managed to get the words out before he collapsed against the wall laughing. Edward's face was a study as she looked at her brother. Falman had to bite his lip and Ralke was in a similar state. Several of the others were becoming amused as well, although some looked rather shocked.

"Ma'am?" The Sergeant-Major spoke and Ed whirled around. He had a large wrapped parcel with two pairs of shoes balanced on top of it. "Your kit, Ma'am."

Edward took a deep breath and saw her brother still laughing against the wall. She stalked over to him and clapped her hands and placed them on the wall on either side of him. Al was clamped to the wall as it warped and twisted around his arms and body. Then she stalked over to the counter and collected the clothes and shoes.

"From now on, Sergeant-Major, just call me Fullmetal." She turned and looked at Falman. "When my brother comes to his senses, tell him I'll be in the library."

She walked past the others.

"Oh, hi Ralke." She said as she went out the door.

* * *

Edward was deep in a book when Al entered the small nook she had found in the library. She didn't even look up as she continued to read and take notes. Al grinned and sat down nearby before opening the first of the books he had brought with him.

* * *

Falman walked into the office at lunch-time and sat down heavily in his chair.

"Next year someone else can do the inductions." He said wearily.

"Last year Breda did it and you know how that turned out," Hawkeye said calmly.

Grins flashed around the desks. Breda had lost two of the recruits, he had avoided the survival course and gym, he had left them standing for two hours in the rain while he had played shogi and had then forgotten to have dormitories allocated for them.

"Besides, you've only had them for half a day, how can you be tired already?" Havoc asked curiously.

"The Elrics." Falman said heavily.

"What did they do now?" Everyone sat up and leant forward. Falman began to tell them of the scene at the Quartermaster's office. Before he was halfway through, Havoc and Breda had started laughing and when he tried to describe Ed's face at being called Ma'am, they nearly fell off their chairs. Even Hawkeye leant back and laughed. Fuery clutched at his head as the noise made it ache and throb but he couldn't stop laughing either.

Mustang could hear them and he listened as the story unfolded. When the laughter got a bit loud, it drowned out the words so he stood up and went to the door to hear better. He leant against the door jamb as Falman continued and he grinned as he listened.

"I had to get one of the Majors to release Alphonse from the wall and the Sergeant-Major wasn't happy. By the time we were finished, the queue behind us was quite impressive and I don't think he appreciated it." Falman said.

"Then you didn't hear what they did in the mess hall earlier, Falman?" Havoc asked as he wiped his streaming eyes. Falman shook his head and Havoc began to tell the story of the earlier Elric confrontation.

Hawkeye had regained her composure and smiled as she listened to Jean tell the story. She had seen Roy in the doorway and hadn't said anything. She couldn't remember the last time he had stuck his head out like this and that grin on his face was definitely something he hadn't done in a long time.

Falman clutched at his head as Havoc finished.

"Those two are at the library now. Who knows what damage they will cause there?"

"Do I hear a bet, gentlemen?" Havoc purred.

* * *

The news that Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist was back took twenty minutes to filter through the whole complex, twice. The news that he was now female kept the talk going until about four thirty that afternoon. And that was only because the gossips got briefly distracted by the news that some new appointee from East City had tried to take on Captain Hawkeye during her afternoon shooting practice. Falman had been shepherding the new Alchemists through there at the time and they had seen first-hand why the Fuhrer had used her as an example in his speech.

* * *

Three days later Al walked into the office and sat down with a sigh. He looked around, it was nearly empty.

"What's up Al?" Breda asked.

"Where is every one?" Al asked curiously.

"Falman's still doing the inductions, Hawkeye's overseeing some new thing at the range and Havoc's helping." They both smiled at that one.

"He got volunteered, didn't he?" Al smirked.

Breda nodded. "Yep, and Fuery's still off sick. But he'll be back tomorrow."

"I didn't know he was ill. Is he alright?" Al asked with concern.

"Yes, he'll be fine. It's just a hangover, well actually it's a very bad hangover. He just sort of folded up and died half way through the day. He was very sick."

"For three days?"

"Well, he doesn't drink a lot usually, and you have to admit he was really knocking them back that night." Breda grinned. "I don't think he'll be drinking for awhile."

Al smiled. He remembered having to help Hawkeye and Havoc take Fuery home. The little man had been amazingly verbose in a very incoherent and loud manner while he was in the car and surprisingly heavy when he had suddenly collapsed into sleep, or unconsciousness, when they finally got him to his dorm. Havoc and Al had changed his clothes and made sure he was comfortable before they had done the same for Breda.

"Where's Ed?"

"At the library. I think she slept there last night." Al sighed again. "I mean, I know we came here to do all this research but she's taking it a bit far I think."

"You know she likes to study, Al."

"I know, but I didn't expect her to study this much. I mean it's been three days and she's barely left there." He paused. "I was going to ask Captain Hawkeye if she could have a word to Sister."

"Ed'll listen to her, Al, that's a good idea. Did you want to go to the range or shall I pass the message on?"

"I think I'll go to the range."

* * *

Edward was deep into a treatise on physical anomalies in chimera development when it was pulled from her hands.

"Hey!" She looked up and met the stern sherry eyes of Riza Hawkeye and the words she had been about to say stayed unsaid.

"Riza, what are you doing here?" She asked in a distracted manner. Her eyes were already going back to the papers now in Riza's hand.

"We have a lunch date, remember?"

"Now? It's not lunch time, Riza." Ed protested. "And I still have a lot of reading to do."

"Ed, it is lunch time and you are coming with me now." Riza said firmly and ignored the rebellious eyes Ed turned on her as she stood up.

Ed blinked. "Riza, how did you get in here?"

Riza patted her sidearm. "I have a pass."

* * *

Edward stretched as they left the library. The winter sun did not have much warmth in it and she shivered slightly after being in the warm library. She followed Riza down the steps and down the wide street to a small casual looking restaurant.

"Jean and I come here occasionally, Ed. The food is very good here." Riza said as she led them to a small table near a window.

"I've never been in this one. Al and I usually go to the café just outside Headquarters."

Riza nodded. "Yes, that is a nice place too. But this is lunch and after being in the library for two whole days you need something more than coffee, Ed."

"I haven't been there that long." Ed said.

"Alphonse says you have, and I think I believe him on this one." Riza paused and looked up from the menu. "You look like shit, Edward."

Ed blinked at Riza's choice of words. "What?"

Riza reached into her bag and pulled out a small compact. She opened it and passed it over to Ed. Ed frowned and then looked into it and saw the small mirror.

"Oh." She said.

"Yes. Oh indeed." Riza agreed.

Ed saw the red rimmed tired eyes in a thin pale face, her hair was in need of a very good brushing and she reached around and ran her hand down the tail, it needed washing too. She looked down. Her clothes were rumpled and creased and her coat was hanging rather limply.

"Umm, I guess I got a bit carried away…?"

"Edward. More than a bit." Riza leant forward. "You're nearly twenty, Ed. Isn't it time you learnt to do things in moderation?"

Ed dropped her eyes and turned her head away, then she turned back to Riza. "But this is something I can do, Riza. I have to do this."

"You're neglecting yourself and Al."

"Al is old enough to take care of himself. He doesn't need me like he used to."

"You're still his sister, Ed. He's always going to need you."

They paused as the waitress came over and took their orders.

"You don't need to do all of this now, Ed. You've got plenty of time. Slow down and appreciate it more."

"Riza, we were supposed to do this in two months. The exam and studying for it has put me nearly two weeks behind. I have to make up that time."

"Will it really matter if you don't find your answers in time? This is not like last time, Edward. You don't have to be so focused."

Ed sighed. "Maybe, but I just can't help it."

Riza smiled at her. Edward might say that Al didn't need her, but she was going to study herself blind to help him. Edward was never going to change, she thought. But she does need to be distracted for awhile.

"Gracia tells me you called around the other night." Riza said casually and watched Ed's eyes widen. Gracia hadn't told her exactly what had happened but she had figured that it had been rather emotional for both of them.

Ed nodded. "Yes." It was almost a whisper.

"Then you'll be coming to Elysia's birthday party too."

Ed leant back as the waitress appeared with two plates in her hands and watched as the plate was set in front of her. She waited til Riza had been served.

"Gracia mentioned it. And it's just before we go back to Resembool." Ed said as she poked her fork into the noodles and vegetables on her plate.

"It would be nice to have you both there. Al was always invited but he'd never go." Riza said and they shared a look. They both knew why Al would have declined the invitation. It would have been yet another reminder of Ed not being there.

"We'll be there. I'm looking forward to seeing her again after all this time. She'll be turning eight, it doesn't seem that long since she was born." Ed smiled at the memory. "Maes was freaking out so badly that night." Ed laughed softly. "Almost as much as Al, Nina and I were."

They ate neatly as they continued talking. Ed was surprised to find out how hungry she was and realised she hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday.

"Do I really have to wear the skirt, Riza?" She asked when the coffee arrived with a selection of cakes.

"Yes, I think Jean has bets running with half the military. And I've heard tales of other bets that have the rest of them wagering rather large sums as well. Especially after yours and Al's little performance the other morning. " Riza replied as she watched Ed choose a cream filled éclair.

Ed's eyes widened. "You're joking!"

"Afraid not, Edward." Riza smiled at the horrified look on her face. "Everyone knows you're back and that you are now female and it's _the_ major topic of conversation throughout Headquarters."

Ed stared at Riza in disbelief.

"You've been in the library all this time Ed. There are soldiers loitering in the halls just on the off-chance you'll walk past so they can say that they have seen you. Everybody eats at the mess hall in the hope that you will appear. And the number of people who find they suddenly need Roy's signature on things has trebled." Riza listed as she grinned. Ed was looking completely gobsmacked.

"But…but…why?" Ed stuttered. "People have known I've been back for weeks now. Why is it such a big deal?"

"Because you were and are the Fullmetal Alchemist." Riza said matter-of-factly. "And until the other morning in the mess, you haven't really been visible. The rumour of your return goes around about every six months or so, usually when the recruiters are out and about. People here know to ignore the 'Fullmetal sightings'. But your little altercation with Al was seen by a lot of people, Edward, and it couldn't be discounted."

"But that's just stupid. Al and I didn't set out for any of this."

"I know that, you know that. But they don't, Ed. They only know the stories and your reappearance and supposed return from the dead has merely added to them."

Ed put her elbows on the table and lowered her head into her hands. Her bangs fell messily through her fingers.

"I really should have stayed at home." Ed groaned. "I'll have to move into the library."

"It's not that bad, Edward." Riza said encouragingly.

"It couldn't get any worse, Riza."

"If we do this right, you'll only have to put up with overt attention for a couple of days."

"What have you got planned?" Ed looked through her bangs at Riza.

"Tomorrow you will spend the day at Headquarters, in your coat and jeans. Eat in the mess, come with me to the range and just generally be seen." Riza ignored the muffled groan. "Then disappear into the library for the next couple of days, and then we'll wear the skirts on Friday as arranged."

"And how am I going to get into that uniform without Al seeing?"

"I'll get Jean to call him out early or something. And then I'll slip in to help." Riza offered.

Ed buried her head in her hands again. "I think I need more than help. Don't bring the stockings, bring a bottle instead."

* * *

Edward Elric was not happy the next morning when she got out of bed. Last night she had spoken to Al and had found out that he was aware of all the attention and rumours spreading around Headquarters. She was not looking forward to spending the day at Headquarters just to appease the curious gossipmongers and she had told him so, rather forcibly. Al had tried to remind her of his comments of a few weeks ago but she had just growled at him and gone to bed.

Edward spent a long time in the bathroom. He washed his hair and stared at the mirror for what seemed like an hour as he tried to convince himself that today was not going to be all bad. When Al started banging on the door, she sighed heavily and opened the door.

"Fine, but if I have to do this, then so do you Al."

"What?"

"I mean it Al. If I have to be on display today, then so do you." Ed grinned at the expression on his face and felt a bit better. Having her brother beside her would hopefully make it easier to handle the attention and he'd be there to provide some restraint if it should get that bad.

"You're not serious?"

"Oh yes I am." Ed smirked. "After all little Brother, as Ralke said you would have been the youngest State Alchemist and not 'that Fullmetal kid' so you deserve it too."

"That has nothing to do with this!" Al protested.

"I know, but when has that ever stopped me?" Ed laughed. She stood in the doorway and smiled at him. "Last one to the mess hall gets to make the beds," she said and shot off down the hall.

"Edward!" Al shouted and took off after her.

* * *

Captain Riza Hawkeye sat in the mess hall with the rest of the office. They had decided that the attention Edward would receive might be rather overwhelming and had come down to offer their support should she need it. The noise in the mess hall was its usual hum but every time the door opened it would always dip slightly as heads turned and then rise again when no blonde was seen. Riza had not been exaggerating when she had spoken with Ed. The soldiers were waiting to see the Fullmetal Alchemist back.

"Do you think we should have told Ed to wear the old outfit?" Breda asked.

"No, Breda." Hawkeye replied. "Not this time."

"Ed wouldn't want any more attention. She's never really liked being so public." Fuery said.

"That red coat was hardly discreet and low key." Breda snorted.

"That was just the outfit, Breda. She never wore it at the end, remember?" Hawkeye commented. "No, I think she and Al will take this calmly and just walk in quietly and ignore everyone, especially if they start talking alchemy, they won't even see us."

"Ever since Ed returned it's been like having the old Ed back. You know, all loud when she's here and then the long silence and then she comes back all loud and in your face again." Fuery remarked.

They all looked at Fuery and he blushed at their regard.

"Do you think she's just doing it because she thinks we expect her to act like this?" Falman asked suddenly.

"No," Hawkeye stated. "Edward has never been anything but honest with us in all her reactions. I think Kain is right, Falman."

"So if she comes through that door in a rush would that make Falman right?" Breda asked.

"And a quiet entrance would make Fuery correct?" Hawkeye queried. "No, I think how Edward comes through that door will depend entirely on what she's doing as she enters."

"We could…"

"No, Jean." Hawkeye said without looking at him. The others laughed.

"More coffee anyone?" Falman asked as he stood up. A chorus answered him and he took their orders and walked over to the large urns at the side of the room.

The sound of running feet and the crackle of alchemy was barely heard over the hum of the conversations but everyone heard the doors slam open in a violent crash. A long haired blonde literally flew into the room, twisting to hand spring herself upright in a swirl of blue coat and golden hair. Golden eyes scanned the room hurriedly and then she leapt across one table and skidded round another with an impressive burst of speed.

Hawkeye and the others stood up as Edward headed straight for them. The reason for her haste appeared in the doorway as another blond hurtled through it. He looked around the room and saw the blue and gold of his sister and swiftly wove his way through the tables and stunned soldiers after her.

"You cheated Sister!"

"You did it first!" The blonde laughingly replied.

"That's because you didn't give me a choice!"

The room was completely silent.

"Well, I would say that Ed was running from her brother as she entered, babe. Wouldn't you?" Havoc drawled into the silence.

Breda laughed and Fuery caught his eye and laughed too. Hawkeye tried to keep a straight face but it was very hard and a small smile creased her lips. Falman returned, juggling the cups and Ed absently reached over and helped him.

"I wasn't running _from_ him, Havoc. It was a race." Ed said in a seemingly casual manner as she placed the cups down. "Now, what's for breakfast? I'm starving. C'mon Al, lets grab a tray."

The group watched as Ed and Al walked through the silent room to where the trays were stacked. Everyone was looking at them as they moved along the bains-marie and helped themselves. The silence was becoming oppressive and Edward could see Al's fingers tightening on his tray. Ed had to stop herself from turning and asking just what everyone thought they were staring at.

"Bring back more toast, Ed!" Breda called.

"What did your last slave die of, Breda?" Ed called back, even as she added the extra toast to her tray. She closed her eyes briefly and thought I can do this. She nudged Al's arm in support and they turned to head back to where the others were sitting.

The eyes followed them and Edward's gloved hands began tensing even as she kept her face blank. If something didn't happen soon she was going to explode. The staring had never been this intense before. She didn't understand why they were remaining so silent. Were they expecting some sort of performance? It was getting harder to remain calm and her breathing slowed as she attempted to keep her anger in check.

Ed put her tray down with a muted crash. The others looked at her and could see the signs of building anger. Al looked at her in concern. It had been hard when he had first returned to Central in the flesh and without the armour. People had stared at him but he had never felt the _weight_ of the stares like this before.

Hawkeye met Ed's eyes with a sympathetic expression. She hadn't thought it would be this bad when she had suggested it. She was very glad that they were here. She didn't dare to think what would have happened had there not been friendly faces in here.

Edward picked up the fork with her right hand and took a deep breath. She could see the concerned looks from her friends who just didn't know quite what to say and were afraid of making it worse. She didn't see how it could get any worse. But it was nice to know they were here. And Al. She was glad she had made him come with her. And why were they still so fucking quiet? Were they going to watch her eat just to see if she really was alive? Dammit, she'd bet some of them weren't even breathing.

When the doors opened, no-one took any notice of it. They were still staring at the blonde who looked like she was going to drive that fork through the table.

"Ahh, Fullmetal, perhaps you could explain the large hole in the hallway."

Edward was wrong. It had just gotten worse.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang looked around his empty office. It was obscenely quiet. The last few days had seen a never-ending procession of gawkers and spurious excuses as they had all come looking for Edward. It had amused him for the first hour but after that he had closed his door and left the rest to cope with it.

His paperwork had tripled. He was furious. It was bad enough having to do the amount he was required to do, let alone some of the pathetic requests he had seen recently. He couldn't really blame Edward, even if he had wanted to.

Ah, now he remembered where his staff had gone. The mess hall. To offer their support to Ed. Mustang knew Ed would cope, she had coped with everything else so far and as she had often told him 'people have been staring at me since I was twelve.'

Mustang thought back to when he had first returned and how everyone had stared at his face. People he hadn't seen in years had come past just to satisfy their curiousity. It had not been a happy time for him. He had been self-conscious enough and that had just made it worse. Yet another reason for him to remain distant.

But Ed hated public recognition, Roy suddenly thought. He had seen it. She was fine if the recognition was on a small scale, but she would always stay away from larger gatherings. Whispers could follow her, but she hated the silent staring. Hadn't he managed to psych her out often enough by doing that when she was younger? She was older now and she had better control but… Roy frowned. Yes, there was always that 'but'. Ed was still very unpredictable.

Roy strode from his office.

* * *

It was nearly as bad as he feared it to be as he entered the mess hall. Even from here he could see the tension in Edward and knew that she would lose all control very shortly.

"Ahh, Fullmetal, perhaps you could explain the large hole in the hallway."

His voice was calm and he watched as her shoulders twitched and the fork snapped in her hand. He could see the deep breath she took as the eyes swung away from her and focused on him.

"Al did that," she replied in a voice that was stretched thin in her effort to remain calm.

"Ahh, then the new steps must be yours." He remarked casually.

"Yes, they're mine." Her voice was relaxing slightly. "There was a hole I had to jump over, I thought they'd help." She took another deep breath and her shoulders loosened slightly.

He watched her carefully and then swept a cold eye over the watching soldiers. He began to walk to where Ed and his crew were. Whispers started up as he passed and he saw her relax even further.

"You did intend to put things back the way they were didn't you?" Mustang asked as he moved closer.

"No, I thought I'd let you do that, bastard." Ed's voice was coming easier now. "You need the practise."

By the time Mustang reached the table, there was an extra chair and a coffee waiting for him, fresh coffee for Ed, and Al had fixed her fork. The whispered conversations became louder and soon the noise level was almost back to normal.

"Nicely done, Chief," Havoc smiled as Mustang leant back in the chair with his coffee.

"Well, we really can't afford to build a new mess hall." Mustang said casually.

"What odds on how long it takes this to circulate around?" Breda grinned.

"Huh?" Fuery looked confused

"The Chief being in the mess hall. I reckon it'll take thirty minutes to get back to us."

"What?" Mustang stared at Breda.

"You haven't been in here in years, Chief. The gossips will have a field day."

Smiles flickered around the table.

"Don't expect a thank you from me, bastard." Ed muttered quietly, as the others began to lay odds. His appearance had been very timely. She had been very close to an explosion of temper that would have been rather destructive and very embarrassing to remember afterwards. His words had allowed her to slip into the familiar and comforting routine that let her release the tension without destroying the building.

"Call it a favour returned for the extra spike." Roy murmured in reply. He hadn't really expected to have to do anything, but that had changed the minute he had seen her. Although he was a bit disconcerted to find himself the object of a bet. He hadn't realised his appearance here would be such a deviation from the norm.

Neither of them looked at the other but it sat between them unspoken.

'_Thank you.'_

* * *

It was a very long day. Edward fell face-first onto her bed.

After the mess hall, she had sat in the outer office for a couple of hours while people traipsed in and out to stare at her. A few times, she had looked longingly at the closed door to Mustang's inner sanctum and wished she could hide in there like he was doing. Hawkeye had shaken her head with a compassionate smile when she had caught Ed's eye after yet another inundation of the curious.

The afternoon spent at the range had been a little better. Hawkeye had given her a gun and begun to teach her basic shooting. People still came to look and stare but Ed had something to do this time and she could ignore them as she concentrated on improving her aim. It had taken her a while to find a comfortable grip with her left hand as she couldn't judge the pressure with her right. She had found herself enjoying it and had asked if she could come back again. Hawkeye had smiled.

Dinner had been a more civilised meal in the mess. People still stared but the silence had disappeared. Conversations went on around her normally and she was able to almost enjoy the meal with Al. She was just glad that she was able to go back to hiding in the library tomorrow.

Al landed with a thump on his bed. "I told you so, Sister."

Ed groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. "If you say that one more time Al, I _will_ kill you."

* * *

When the knock came at their dormitory door very early on Friday morning, Ed just grunted and pulled the covers over her head. Al pulled them back and looked down at the mussed hair covering her face.

"I'm going now, Sis." He said as she tugged the blankets out of his hands.

"Fine, see you later," Ed mumbled and hid under the blankets again. Al shook his head and grinned as he left the room. Havoc was leaning against the wall outside the door and yawned as Al appeared.

"Thanks Al, we much appreciate this." He said as they walked down the hall. "No-one else was interested in helping."

"No, no. I'm glad to help, Captain." Al replied. "I think it should have been done ages ago."

"Well, you've certainly made Fuery happy. It was his idea in the first place although I don't know why I had to be dragged into this." Havoc yawned again. "It's way too early for me."

Al laughed. "It's too early for Ed as well."

* * *

The next knock at the dormitory door went unanswered as Ed stayed buried under the covers fast asleep. Even the gunshot that opened the door only made her turn over and snuggle back down again.

The hand that pulled the blankets forcibly from the bed and gripped the long mass of hair and pulled her up did not go unnoticed and Ed opened bleary eyes to find Hawkeye and her gun mere inches from her face.

"Time to wake up, Edward."

"Why am I doing this again?" Edward asked plaintively as she carried the still unopened package that contained her uniform from the bedroom to the living area.

"Because I will shoot you if you don't." Riza said with a smile.

Ed laughed. "That's certainly true." She looked at the shoes. One pair of boots and one pair of ladies shoes with a small solid heel. "But seriously, Riza, how are we going to explain this after refusing at the beginning?"

"We keep it simple and it goes like this. We both refused to go along with Jean, yes?"

Ed nodded as she pulled open the paper and found a neat pile of pressed military blue material within. She lifted the first one and it was the short jacket with braid and insignia.

"The bet is that both of us have to wear the uniform today or Jean loses. So I am wearing mine because I feel that Breda and the others need to be scared by the possibility that they might actually lose the bet and because I know you won't wear yours."

"That's fine, Riza, but if it wasn't for your gun I _wouldn't_ be wearing it." Ed protested as she lifted up the trousers and looked at them longingly.

"You're wearing the skirt because you know that I won't wear mine and you're being contrary in the way that only Edward Elric can be."

"That sounds a bit weak, Riza. I don't think I'd really do that." Ed held up a black skivvy with short sleeves and a white shirt. "Do you really have to wear _all_ of this?"

"Edward, it is exactly what you would do. After all, the minute anyone told you _not_ to do something, you'd go straight off to do it. And weren't you the one who deliberately wrote those fake reports and waited at the office door just to annoy Roy when he went through that stage of wanting your reports _every day_?"

Ed grinned. She remembered that. It had pissed the bastard off no end to have her waiting for him every morning with a report (fake) and a smirk (smartass) before he'd even had his first coffee. He hadn't been able to handle it and after ten days he had sent them out again on some pointless mission. It had taken him another week before he had found out that she had faked the reports. She always regretted missing out on seeing that explosion.

"He thought you'd be furious with those orders but you just smirked and handed them in." Riza smiled. "You were contrary back then and I think you can be just as contrary now."

Ed sighed and held up the skirt and the butt-skirt. "I guess I should be grateful I don't have to wear both of these at the same time."

* * *

Edward Elric was nervous. He stood in his dorm in full uniform. He was practising walking in the shoes and he was very disconcerted to find that it was easier than he had thought it would be. Maybe Al's theories had some basis after all.

Riza had helped him with the intricacies of the uniform. She had explained both the trouser version and the one he was wearing now. The white shirt went with the skirt and either the shirt or the black skivvy with the trousers. She had shown him how the braid was detachable for certain occasions and how to affix the butt-skirt. The stockings had been an interesting experience. He had discovered how fragile they could be when he put his automail fingers right through the first pair as he pulled them from the packet. When he finally had them on, he was rather intrigued at the feeling of having his legs encased like that. And when he ran his hand over his stockinged leg it was reminiscent of the silk of his pyjamas.

Riza had left ten minutes ago. It wouldn't do for them both to show up together. Ed looked in the mirror again. The high collar at his neck, the jacket lapel folded across his chest and the golden braid running up and under the insignia on the shoulder board. He tugged at the jacket nervously and checked the skirt was straight. The small side splits certainly made it easier to walk in. It came to just below his knees and he was extremely grateful at this point that he had two flesh legs. There is no way he would have done this had he still had the automail leg.

If there was one problem with this whole skirt thing it was that there had been no-where for his watch to attach to. They had looked at the skirt and ended up using alchemy to attach a loop on the inside of the waist band for the chain to attach to and then Ed had used alchemy again to construct a side pocket. He had looked at the trousers and copied the pattern.

He ran a nervous hand over his hair. They had decided to leave it in the high tail. Al was going to freak he thought as he paced around again. He wished Al was here. But that would have given the game away. At least they had found a legitimate reason with which to distract him. Fuery had been campaigning for a new compound for the guard dogs for a while now but no-one had been willing to help him. Once Al had heard about it, thanks to Havoc, he had offered to use his alchemy to help them construct the new kennels. With Al helping and the very early start, they should be able to have the work completed and be back in the office in time for Ed's appearance.

Ed flicked his watch open. Nearly nine. He could go now. He took another deep breath and left the room closing the alchemically repaired door behind him. A soldier just entering the next dorm looked a bit surprised at seeing a female in the men's dorms but one look at the insignia had him saluting as she went past.

* * *

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric took the long way around the complex. She stayed in the nearly empty halls at first as she learnt to control her walking. Ed was so used to striding with long paces, but the skirt didn't allow that so she had to shorten her steps. Which made her hips sway. She began to feel the eyes on her again as she reached the more populated hallways.

The whispers followed her. The silver chain at her hip, the long blonde hair, she could hear them muttering. It was different compared to the other morning. Then she had been stuck in the one place and she hadn't been able to escape, now she was walking and all she had to do was keep on walking.

The more she walked, the more she realised something. They were looking at her and seeing a female Fullmetal Alchemist. They weren't looking at Edward Elric, it was the Fullmetal persona they were watching. Ed felt a little bit more relaxed at that. It was something she was familiar with. People had stared at her when she was younger because she had been the youngest State Alchemist. They hadn't looked any deeper than that.

Hawkeye had been right, she thought as she swept past another clustered group of soldiers. She would have done this in a contrary fit. She would have done it to spite Havoc, in a nice way. And it was going to be nice to finally manage to completely surprise the bastard.

The office was getting closer and Ed found herself starting to smile slightly. She could hear raised voices as she entered the hallway.

"You said you wouldn't!" It was Breda's voice she could hear. Ed walked closer and tilted her head to listen.

"I know, Breda. I just thought it would be interesting to make you sweat a little bit." Hawkeye replied calmly. "After all, you know that Edward will never do this."

"Do what?" And the whole office turned to see Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric standing in full uniform - with skirt - in the doorway.

Edward never did find the words to describe the expressions on their faces when they saw her there.

Breda went white and fell back with the widest shocked eyes she had ever seen on him.

Fuery went red then white then red again and sat down very quickly.

"Holy shit," came a strangled whisper from Falman as he stared at her. He looked like he'd stopped breathing.

Al was stunned. He had seen Ed in her pyjamas so the sudden appearance of a beautiful Edward was not as surprising to him. What did surprise him was the elegance which the tailored lines of the fitted uniform gave her. Suddenly she looked so much more the woman and less the tomboy sister.

Riza had already seen Edward but even her eyes widened at the air of confidence that Edward seemed to exude as she stood there. It was completely different to the nervous Ed she had left in the dorm earlier. She looked around at the others and was definitely impressed with the reactions. Even Jean was looking stunned, his mouth agape.

Mustang appeared in his doorway, leaning against the jamb with a cup in his hand. Judging from the sudden looseness of his fingers that cup was about to end up on the floor. His eye opened completely wide and his lips parted as his breath puffed out. He blinked and then his face became the blank mask he customarily wore. A single eye raked over Edward from the top of the golden head to the tips of the black shoes and back again. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out and he frowned instead.

Edward watched them and her smile deepened as she looked across to the Brigadier-General. He appeared speechless and her eyes gleamed with expectancy. She waited for him to begin their little game but it didn't come. As she watched, his frown disappeared and anger flared briefly. She saw him force his face into stillness as he straightened up and turned into his office, closing the door behind him.

She looked at the others and saw their stunned expressions. Mustang had never shut them out so completely before. Al's face was stricken and Riza's had paled. Ed narrowed her eyes and strode across the office. She opened the door and entered his office letting the door close behind her.

Mustang was standing by his desk facing away from the door. She leant against the door and looked at the stiff back for a moment.

"I always knew you were a bastard, Mustang. I never knew you were a cruel one."

* * *

"We can always redeem the man who aspires and strives." Goethe.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the reviewers, I can never say thank you enough to you all. Every time I write another chapter, I am just blown away by the response I am getting.

So here you go, another very long chapter of 40 pages. Ed sort of threw me when he wanted to go and see Gracia now, rather than in the next chapter where I had it planned. And a couple of other things I had planned for this chapter have now been pushed into the next which hopefully won't get too sidetracked from where I want it to end up.

I know it's a day early, but I don't know if I am going to have internet access tomorrow and if I don't put this up now I will do nothing but edit it again and again…lol… I'll post the next (nice, long) chapter a day late to make up for this…lol

silken :)


	13. To Be Human

**Returning Echoes**

I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 13: To Be Human**

Roy Mustang stood in the middle of his office with his hands fisted and breathing hard. He was wound so tight he didn't hear her enter.

"I always knew you were a bastard, Mustang. I never knew you were a cruel one."

He heard her voice behind him and he turned around. She was leaning against the door and her golden eyes were fixed on him. Her smile had completely disappeared.

"I fail to see how your opinion matters, Fullmetal." He said coldly.

"It matters the minute you start hurting my brother and my friends." She replied.

"You are exaggerating the matter, Fullmetal. There is no reason for any further discussion." Mustang said heavily. "As your superior officer, you are dismissed."

"Well, write me up for insubordination because I'm not leaving here until you explain what that little performance was all about." Edward took a step away from the door.

"There is nothing to discuss, Fullmetal!" Mustang repeated sharply.

"You didn't see their faces. You didn't think of them at all." Edward said slowly. "You just turned away and left them… left us without even thinking twice."

Mustang moved around his desk and stood there. He stared unseeing at the folders and his hands clenched again as he struggled to keep his self-control. He wished she would just leave.

"What did I do that made you be so cruel?" Edward asked. She could see the anger in him but she didn't understand it. He wasn't supposed to react like this. He was supposed to join in with all the others, like they had always done.

"Go look in a mirror, Fullmetal. Then you'll see what's really cruel here." Roy's voice was strained as he could feel the anger betraying his attempts at control.

"Because I'm wearing a skirt?" Ed queried, feeling completely baffled by what he was saying. She shook her head in denial. "I'm sorry, you just managed to hurt and insult everyone out there without saying a single damned word because I'm in a skirt?" Her voice rose incredulously at the last words.

"It's not the skirt, Edward, it's _you_." Roy slammed his hands on his desk, the violence of his action a direct contrast to the purposeful intent of his voice. He lifted his head and looked straight at her. "It's you, Edward. You think this is all some sort of game… some fun that we can all join in and play at together. Wear the skirt, race through the halls. It's all just a bit of fun to you isn't it, Edward?"

Edward watched him, her eyes narrowing as his words continued. She didn't understand what was driving him; this was not the Roy Mustang she knew.

"Four years ago we parted and went our separate ways, do you remember that, Fullmetal?" He stared hard at her as she nodded. His voice was cool but his hands were pressing hard at the desktop. "We both had things to do, goals and purposes to achieve. So many sacrifices to redeem." His voice trailed away and for a moment his anger appeared to have vanished.

"You brought Alphonse back, you restored your brother," his voice began again and it was almost whimsical. "You succeeded even if you weren't there to see it. We all thought you dead. A final sacrifice." He kept staring at her and now his face twisted. "But you didn't die, did you? No, you came back. You succeeded and _survived_. It would have been much easier if you had stayed dead, Edward."

Edward stared at him. She began to walk closer. His voice rose slightly and began to gain a vicious edge.

"Did you ever think what it would've been like if you had _failed_, Edward? If all your work and sacrifice had left you with nothing but ashes? Do you know what it would be like to see your purpose made completely worthless? To know all you ever wanted was just used as some part of some stupid game? Would you still be smiling then, Ed?" Roy lifted his hands up and kept staring at her. "If you held everything in your hands and it was snatched away, how would you feel? How would you cope?"

Edward stood in front of his desk, her eyes wide at his words. Was he blaming her for leaving, for returning? For succeeding?

"I did fail, Mustang." Edward said slowly, cautiously feeling her way though his mood.

"You didn't fail! Al is back and whole. That's not a sign of failure, Edward!" Roy retorted.

"You didn't fail either. What you did changed…" Edward began to say and immediately knew it was the wrong thing to have said as his face contorted into fury.

"Oh I failed, Edward. On the grandest scale there could be. You think that because I killed Bradley that I succeeded? You think that being left with nothing but scars and pain is a glorious achievement?" Roy's voice echoed around the room. "There is nothing to be proud of when everything I worked for was a big _fucking_ lie!"

Edward took a step back. She had never heard Mustang swear before and his eye was almost blazing at her.

"_Everything_, Edward, every fucking thing I thought was real was nothing but another lie, all for the benefit of those damned monsters! They took everything from me! They destroyed my friends, my life!" Roy was incandescent with his fury. "I didn't make anything change! All I did was give others the opportunities that I had worked for! I was stuck in a damned hospital while everyone else figured out how to change the world! I was _nothing_, Edward! They wouldn't even let me _leave_! They _commiserated_ with me! They thought they were doing me a favour." His voice dripped acid. "They were so busy being so damned supportive because they were sorry for me. Do you know how degrading that is, Edward? To know people are only there because they pity you, because they think you appreciate their company. Because they think they can _help_."

Edward stood still as she listened to him, his eye never wavered from hers and his voice rose and fell with every bitter word he spoke. She was shocked at the ferocity of his outburst, it came from him in an almost palpable wave of pure bile. She had never seen him like this before. His emotion, his anger and pain was being pushed at her and she was finding it hard to accept.

"To appease them, to make them feel better about themselves, I had to pretend to be happy, I had to pretend to be normal. I had to pretend to be _me_!" He lifted a hand and pointed at her.

"And you! Four years and you come strolling back in as if nothing had changed." He waved a hand as she opened her mouth to deny his words. "You think a sex change counts here, Fullmetal? Oh no, you can just come back here and get yourself a watch and everything will be fixed. Just like last time. Here's a piece of truth for you. These watches will never save anyone. Not you, not me." Roy pulled his watch out of his pocket and slammed it onto the desk.

"I never wanted a watch to save me, Mustang." Edward said firmly.

"No, but you'll use it. You'll do whatever it takes, won't you. To fix Al's mistake, to make things equivalent again. To make things right." Roy sneered at her. "And what will you do if it all falls apart on you? What if you don't succeed this time, Edward?"

"I'm not afraid of what happens, Mustang." Edward looked at him. "I'm not going to let it stop me. Like you have."

Roy's eye narrowed as Edward took a step forward.

"Because that's the truth, isn't it Mustang? You've let yourself give up and you hide it behind all the guilt and self-pity you can get." Ed accused. "You think you're a failure, you stay in your little hole and only come out when you think you have to, when duty demands it. You think we would blame you."

Roy's face had paled and his hands were fisting hard. "Do not say anything more, Edward."

"Why? What are you afraid of, Mustang? That you might appear to be human?" Edward blinked and she remembered her conversation with the Fuhrer. He had thought Mustang had set himself apart because he didn't believe in anything any more, but now she wondered if that was the whole story.

"I am not afraid!" Roy's voice rose and he slammed his hands on his desk.

"Then you're in denial." Edward stated. "What is wrong with admitting to being scared, of being less than perfect? I never thought I'd ever see you hide from the truth."

"I am not hiding from anything!" Roy shouted, his hand clenching around his watch on the desk. The last thing he wanted was to hear someone accusing him of exactly what he was doing.

"That's what it looks like." Ed replied. "You won't admit…"

"That is enough, Fullmetal!" Roy interrupted and glared at her.

"I don't think so. I think you need to know that you are not the only one who knows what it means to feel worthless, to be scared of not being perfect." Ed said determinedly.

"Worthless?" Roy laughed harshly. "You don't know the meaning of the word, Ed. My friend died because of me, I have killed hundreds for false ideals. You think you know how hopeless life can be? How lonely it can get when there is no-one who understands you?"

"Have you even tried, Mustang? Or have you been too busy wallowing in the guilt and pity?" Edward asked and there was a tightness in her eyes Roy didn't recognise. "Do you think you are the only one who has felt like that? Who has lost friends? Who is responsible for the deaths of … others?" Edward's eyes blazed with contempt. "You just want to crawl back into that little hole and hide away again. Forget the people out there who have done all they could for you, who would still give everything for you, even after what you just did."

"Do not mock me!" Roy threw the watch and the chain whipped out, striking Edward's face before it smashed into the wall.

They looked at each other. Edward lifted a gloved hand and ran her finger along the thin red line that slowly appeared on her cheek, a droplet of blood marring the whiteness of the material. Roy watched, still completely consumed by his fury.

"No-one is mocking you." Edward looked at him, her eyes clear. "You do that all by yourself." The finality in her voice echoed around the room.

"Get out of my office." Roy's voice was strained and he was shaking.

Edward turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Roy swore violently as he picked up the lamp from his desk and hurled it across the room, watching it shatter before falling to his knees.

* * *

The outer office was silent after Edward disappeared into Mustang's inner office. They could hear the muffled voices rising and falling but they could not determine individual words. They said nothing as they looked at each other. They didn't need to speak, they had spoken of it often enough in the past. They all knew how their Brigadier-General had withdrawn from them and they had never judged him. They had supported him from the very beginning and they would always be there for him.

With Edward's return they had seen him slowly returning to what he had once been. They had been pleased at his appearance in the mess hall the other morning. It had been another sign that he was coming out of his self-imposed exile. To see him turn away as he had done had been a severe blow to them. They had been hoping to see Mustang come further out of his shell, they had not expected to see him figuratively and literally close the door in their faces and it had hurt. And judging from Edward's face she had not intended to let it stay closed.

They looked at the door when they heard the muted crash of something hitting the wall and they all froze as the door opened and Edward walked out. She closed the door and they barely heard the second crash of something breaking. They were staring at the long thin cut on Ed's cheek.

"Sister?" Al asked, his voice hushed with concern.

"It's ok, Al." Ed said calmly.

Al walked closer and lightly brushed his fingers along the line, smudging the blood slightly. "Edward." His voice dropped.

"Leave it, Alphonse" she said as her hand came up and rested on his for a moment before pulling his hand away from her face.

"Edward." Hawkeye's stern tone caused Ed to look at her. The golden eyes never wavered and Hawkeye could see a forced distance in them.

"It's ok, Riza." Edward said, keeping her voice even and calm. She looked at Al. "I'm going to the library, coming, Al?"

Al looked at his sister and then back at the others. He caught Hawkeye's slight nod and he said, "Of course, Sis."

"Let's go then." She turned to Hawkeye and didn't quite meet her eyes. "We'll see you later" she said in a voice that seemed overly casual as she walked to the door. Al hurried after her and they left the room in silence.

* * *

Hawkeye turned and stared hard at the Brigadier-General's door.

"I don't think Edward plans to return here for a while." She said slowly.

"What happened in there? The Chief has never hit anyone before." Breda asked stunned.

"I don't think he hit her, I think he threw something at her, Heymans." Fuery said in a hushed tone as he huddled into his chair. "Something sharp. There was blood on her glove."

"I don't care what it was, Kain. He's never done anything like that, ever." Breda replied. "Ed must have really upset him."

"I don't think Ed's to blame for this one, Breda." Havoc said in a thoughtful voice. "I think the Chief lost it and Ed copped it."

"Because Ed wore a skirt? That doesn't make sense." Breda protested.

"I think the skirt had nothing to do with it. I think the Ice General just thawed a bit." Havoc said and there was the tiniest hint of satisfaction in his words.

"It's about time," Falman said sedately and they all stared at him. "Well, it is. Four years is a long time and the Brigadier-General has been keeping himself isolated all that time. Something had to give."

"He didn't need to hurt Edward though." Hawkeye said firmly and stared at the closed door again.

* * *

Roy Mustang knelt on his office floor for a long time. Like a statue he stared blindly and dry-eyed, quivering occasionally as the anger kept washing through him.

Edward Elric had done it to him again. She had waltzed straight in and smashed his nice comfortable little world apart. Every time he felt he had managed to claw his way back into his niche, she came through and pushed him out again. She refused to stay in the pigeonhole marked 'Fullmetal'.

That nice little place where they could insult each other and he could keep a working distance between them. That comfortable zone where he knew exactly how to act and react.

But no, she just had to keep bringing him up against things he didn't want to think about. He didn't need her to tell him what was wrong; did she think he didn't know that? Just because he didn't want to admit to it, didn't mean he wasn't aware of his failings, of his loneliness and his worthlessness.

Those damned golden eyes had looked at him with contempt. A contempt he felt he deserved, but how dare she judge him like that. His hands fisted hard. She had no right; she hadn't spent the last four years paying for a failed dream. She hadn't lost her best friend, she hadn't let her colleagues down. She hadn't failed.

She thought that just going forward would solve all her problems; she thought that not looking back would make you a better person. But what happened when looking back was all you could do. When all you ever wanted was back there. How could you not look back? Everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever had, had been back there. She might have found a reason for going forward, but he hadn't.

He couldn't think of anything worth going forward for.

* * *

Edward sat in the library, ostensibly completely engrossed in a book. But she hadn't turned a page in ten minutes. Al watched her surreptitiously over the top of his book. Her eyes were unfocused and there was a small frown wrinkling her forehead. He could see the dried blood marking the thin line across her cheek.

In all the years they had known the Brigadier-General the closest he had ever come to inflicting physical hurt to Edward had been their assessment battle. And that had been in a good-natured manner on both sides, despite Ed's manic attitude at the time. In the four years of Ed's absence, it had been hard to imagine the Brigadier-General had even been in that battle. He had closed so much of himself away.

When Al had been in the armour he had barely been in his teens. He had been observant and thoughtful, mainly because he didn't have much choice. There really weren't a lot of things he had been able to do. He had spent a lot of his sleepless nights considering theories and concepts of alchemy. He had also had plenty of time to think and ponder about other people. More than Edward, he had been aware of how much effort and time the then Colonel had invested in them. How much protection and free reign he had allowed them.

But he had seen Mustang as his brother's commanding officer, someone he could talk to if he had to, although he had preferred to have Hawkeye as his confidante. He hadn't been a close friend, not as close as he had become after Ed's disappearance and Al had returned to Central. Then he had found a Mustang who was quieter, more restrained but one willing to be on closer terms than they had been before. Al realised that he had only scraped the surface when he thought of how much the Brigadier-General had enjoyed being at breakfast that morning in the mess hall. He had even laughed at something Havoc had said.

Al was completely puzzled as to why the Brigadier-General had turned away when Ed had appeared in her skirt and he was totally bewildered and more than a little bit angry that Mustang had hurt his sister.

Edward had refused to say anything and her eyes had been as stubborn as her words. Basically she had told him to 'leave it alone, Alphonse.' He had not been inclined to obey but the fact that she had gone straight to the library and not taken a detour to change out of her uniform had persuaded him to wait a little bit longer before he went and questioned the Brigadier-General.

He thought he might go and visit Captain Hawkeye and they could see the Brigadier-General together.

* * *

Edward tried to concentrate on the book in her hands for the first five minutes but she soon gave up and let her thoughts dwell on Mustang and his outburst.

She never would have picked him as someone who would give up like that. Hide away and isolate himself yes, but not for this long. His friends had been there for him. How could he have not let them help? Edward was confused by that. Mustang had never seemed the type of person to be overly proud. Arrogant to a fault, yes. But not so proud as to refuse all help. Even she had not been that bad.

And that was another thing. How dare he accuse her of being the bad guy here when he was the one wallowing in his little puddle of denial. He had no idea of what she had been through during those self-same four years. Just because she hadn't vented all over the place since her return, and then reminded herself that she had come close to doing that at Gracia's that night. Mustang didn't wear his guilt on his sleeve, why would he assume that she would make hers any more visible than he did.

He had been so wrapped up in his own pain, he had trampled all over hers. She had never before questioned her decision to keep going forward no matter what the costs, but now she was. It had been that determination of hers to always try to keep her promises, to always be there for those who needed her. Was it really so bad to want to keep moving, to not let the monsters of the past catch you.

Was she really any better for not looking back? Did going forward mean that she was ignoring the demons of the past and just dragging them unseen behind her?

She didn't feel the stinging line on her face anymore. It had been that moment when her head had cleared and she had seen Roy Mustang as the man he was. Not the Colonel Bastard she remembered best, nor the Ice General façade she had seen him wear since her return. But someone who had demons and monsters and who hadn't managed to defeat them.

Human, the damned bastard was completely human and she couldn't ignore it now. The Fuhrer had been right, Mustang did not believe in anything anymore and he didn't trust himself either. But Edward was now aware that it was worse than that. Roy Mustang did not believe he was deserving of anything, he didn't believe he was worth anything. He had become one of the demons he couldn't defeat.

And he had belittled her pain in his refusal to accept the truth. He had made her suffering seem negligible because his was just so much worse in his mind. She scowled, he had no right to judge who had suffered more than the other.

Sometimes she really hated Roy Mustang.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang did not leave his office until late that night. He didn't open his door until after everyone had left. He had moved from the floor to his chair and had sat in it, staring sightlessly at the mark on the wall his watch had made for most of the day. He had fluctuated from anger to pity to guilt to anger again. A vicious circle that had left his hands and arms aching from the tension of his continually clenching hands.

The night air was cold but he didn't feel it. He walked quickly wanting nothing but the security of his own place around him. The minute he slammed the door behind him he was in the living room snapping his gloved fingers to light the fire and going to pour a large drink. He threw his coat on the chair and ignored it as it slipped to the ground. He tossed his short jacket on top of it and walked to the fireplace.

He stood in front of the fire as it began to spread its warmth into the room. It reflected on the whiskey in his glass and the amber gleam reminded him of Edward's eyes.

"No." He muttered. "No, no, no!" his voice rose with each denial and he threw the glass and untouched drink into the fire. The alcohol ignited and flames rushed up and the wave of heat buffeted his face, making his eye sting.

He blinked furiously to clear his eye and turned away from the fire. He raised the back of his hand to press it against his eye and was surprised to feel a wetness seeping into his glove. He pressed again and it was still there. Roy Mustang did not cry, it was a law of nature. His eye was merely watering from the fumes and heat.

Besides there was nothing he had to cry about. He was fine, he was going to be fine, he was not afraid, he was … in denial. His eye kept watering and he stared at the wet spot on his glove.

"I am…" he started to say aloud but his throat closed up on him and he couldn't speak. He cleared his throat and tried again but the words wouldn't come.

He turned his head to the fire. The flames had died down and flickered in shades of red and yellow. Like golden eyes and Roy ran his hand across his face. Was he going to be seeing those eyes everywhere now?

"Damn you Edward." He growled and felt the anger flare again.

His eye was caught by a molten drop of glass as it slipped through the fire grate. The flames reflected in its flowing line turning it a brilliant red.

Roy's anger died and his breath caught. Blood. He had made Edward bleed today. On top of everything else he had done, he had done that too. Roy fell back into the couch and stared at the molten drop as it began to puddle on the scorched brickwork.

He had seen Edward bleed before and he had always felt some responsibility for it because he was the one who had sent the boy out on those missions. But it had been expected, it had been part and parcel of what military service entailed. But not today. Today he had let himself become so angry he had lashed out and done so in a most uncharacteristic manner. But at that point nothing else would have satisfied him and even now he still had the urge to break and smash things.

He hadn't meant to hit Edward. He hadn't even known he'd thrown his watch until after it had already left his hand. He had been so angry, he hadn't even felt any remorse for his action. He had watched the blood appear and had been so furious. He had been angry at Ed for not getting out of the way. He had been so angry at her accusations. Perhaps if they had been false he wouldn't have reacted as he did. But she had called him on his denial, she had not let him hide from himself.

At that moment, Roy Mustang had hated Edward Elric.

* * *

Edward Elric moved into the library. She spent every day in there. Reading, writing, reading some more. Al dragged her out once a day to take her back to the dorm for a shower and clean clothes but it was with great reluctance on her part. He would bring in sandwiches and coffee and sometimes she would eat and other times she wouldn't.

She still wouldn't talk about the Brigadier-General. In fact she wouldn't even mention his name. If Al brought the subject up, she would stand and leave to get another book.

She focused everything on their research. She made Al go over every line and symbol of his array. She made him recite his materials list and formulae until he was doing it in his sleep. Pages of her characteristic writing piled high and spread around the room they had commandeered for their use. Books were stacked on the tables and against the walls.

She spent the nights on a small couch she dragged in from another room. The greatcoat she had received with her uniform became her blanket and it was spread on the couch for whenever she needed it. Al tried to persuade her to cut back, to slow down but he got no response. Edward simply ignored him as she ignored everyone else.

* * *

Every day the Brigadier-General would enter his office, frowning and just daring anyone to speak to him. He always wore his gloves. He would close his door and it would only open to allow new paperwork to go in and completed folders to come out. He rarely spoke and he never left his office until it was time to go home.

Only Breda had been brave, or foolhardy enough to ask and he had received a scorched ear when Mustang had snapped his fingers in reply.

"I thought you said he was thawing out, Havoc." Breda accused afterwards. "If he was any colder, we'd start freezing too."

Havoc sighed. "I know." And he frowned. "But I could've sworn I was right." He protested weakly.

As the days passed, they noticed the frown lines getting deeper in his forehead and the increasing pallor of his face. He started to resemble an immaculately dressed shadow. He moved silently and if he spoke it was always quietly. He completely ignored any overtures of concern, and questions about his health were met with an almost inhuman disregard.

The office became an oppressive place to be. Even Falman began to find excuses to leave on pointless errands. They had never known it to be this poisonous before. When Edward and Mustang had argued in the early years, they had done so with a passion and a sense of knowing exactly how far they could push each other. But this was so different. It seemed that there was bad feeling between the two and they had never indulged in that before.

* * *

Two weeks passed and nothing had changed.

The Brigadier-General's attitude had been the subject of much gossip and it was said that if he had been icy before, now he was completely frozen and vicious with it too. Edward had not been seen and the rumours circulated of a major fight between the two which had resulted in the Fullmetal Alchemist being sent home to recuperate.

Edward had begun to withdraw from Al. It was happening gradually and Al was only just becoming aware of it. He had stopped asking about whatever had happened with Mustang and Edward had stopped hounding Al for everything he knew about his array. They spoke little, the room mainly filled with the sounds of pen scribbling on paper and pages turning. She stopped complaining about going to the dorm once a day and he stopped trying to convince her to leave the library.

Her cycle time came and she completely ignored the emotional swings and cramps. Al watched in awe as she merely strapped the heat pad to her lower belly and kept on writing. He nearly freaked when she made him go and get her supplies. In true male fashion, Al went straight to Hawkeye and with many a blush and halting whisper, managed to pass the problem over to her.

Hawkeye had been glad to help as it gave her the opportunity to approach Edward. Who had flatly refused to answer a single question.

"Edward, we need to know what happened. The Brigadier-General has not been the same since." She had stated firmly.

"I really don't care, Riza. It's his problem, not mine."

"He shuts himself up in his office and frowns all day. He even does all his paperwork." Riza had said.

"I honestly think you should leave it be this time." Ed had sighed and met Riza's eyes. The golden eyes were tired and there was a poorly concealed hurt in them. "You can shoot me all you want, Riza, I really don't care."

And Edward had gone back to her research.

* * *

Al and Hawkeye met in the small café near Headquarters a week later, and sat there trying to comfort each other.

"Sister's not happy, Captain. But she won't tell me anything." Al looked into his coffee cup as if seeking the answers there.

"The Brigadier-General's not happy either, Al. Whatever happened must have been really bad."

"I don't understand why." Al said in a thoughtful tone. "They have always had their spats and it's always been good fun…for them and for us. So why has this one gone so bad?"

"We don't know what they said in that office, Alphonse."

"I know, but Captain, those two have insulted and sworn at each other so many times. What could they have possibly said that was so unforgivable or hurtful that they've reacted like this?" Al paused. "And to have thrown something at Edward, I mean the Brigadier-General would never do that."

"Normally he wouldn't, Al but if either one had reached a point of blind retaliation for something said or done, then either one of them could have thrown something."

"It's been three weeks, Captain. Isn't there something we can do?" Al almost pleaded with her. "Sister lives in the library, she's just closing herself away in there and it hurts to watch. I really don't want to lose her again."

Riza looked at Al. His face was pained and his eyes were sorrowed and guilty. He wanted to help, he just didn't know how. Riza thought about what he had said and she thought about Roy doing something similar all over again. She straightened up in her chair.

"Alphonse." She said firmly. "We are going to fix this."

"How?" He asked.

"Come with me. We're going to pay a little visit to the Brigadier-General."

* * *

Nine o'clock that night saw Brigadier-General Roy Mustang standing outside the main library.

He sighed as he walked up the stairs and shivered into his greatcoat as the wind slipped through him. Hawkeye had made him come here. She had barged into his office with Alphonse behind her and demanded that he do something about Edward. Apparently Edward had been holed up in the library for the last three weeks and Al had become very worried about her state of health and mind.

His initial response of "Why me?" had been destroyed with a single look. His second "You do it" had earnt him a bullet through his hair. His final attempt had been "I'm sure she's fine" and it had resulted in Hawkeye, his calm controlled Captain, slamming her hands on his desk and saying in the most deadly voice he had ever heard, "If you don't go and see Edward Elric today, my resignation will be on your desk tomorrow."

He honestly thought the world came to a complete stop when he heard those words.

He sighed again as he nodded to the night watchman and let him open the doors for him. Al had given him explicit directions to the little room Ed favoured and Roy's footsteps echoed in the deserted building as he made his way past the shelves and racks.

Edward was the last person he wanted to see. It had taken him a week before he could actually admit out loud that he was in denial. It had taken him another week before he would admit that perhaps he had been afraid of allowing others to see his pain or any part of him that wasn't perfect. It had taken another week before he had been able to say that he was hiding. But he felt like he was going around in circles. He could admit these things, but he didn't know what to do about them. He found himself apologizing to himself, unable to go any further.

And he had come to the bitter realization that he had been cruel that day, not only to his crew but to Ed as well. It had galled him to understand how far he had fallen. He had never wanted to be the kind of person he now was.

He had been slightly aware of the strained atmosphere in the office but he had managed to ignore it. He was too ashamed of his own behaviour to want to have much to do with anyone and he had forced himself to go to the office everyday. He would spend the hours with his thoughts twisting in their circles and getting more and more frustrated that he couldn't seem to change anything.

Every night he poured himself a drink and let it sit in front of the fire. He never drank it, he just watched as it warmed and evaporated slowly into the air as the night wore on. Sometimes he would fall asleep, sometimes he wouldn't.

A sliver of light came from beneath a door and Roy knew he had found where Ed was. He opened the door and saw the light shining on the golden head of Edward Elric. Who was fast asleep, her cheek cushioned on her crossed arms.

He looked around the messy room. Books and notes were everywhere. The small bin in the corner was overflowing with scrunched up paper scraps. Empty coffee cups and sandwich wrappers were strewn amongst the debris. A couch with a rumpled greatcoat on it was half covered with books as well. Maybe Hawkeye and Al had been right to be concerned he thought.

Roy stepped into the room and walked to the couch where he picked up the coat. He moved quietly across to the table and placed it over Ed's shoulders. He looked at the other chair covered in papers and then at the couch and decided the couch was the safer bet. He sat down on the cleared half and looked at Edward sleeping.

Her face was pale and there were shadows under her eyes. Her hair was escaping messily from its tail and there was an ink smudge down one side of her face. Her face had a sorrowful cast to it as if she had fallen asleep in a melancholy mood.

Roy felt uncomfortable. He had hurt her, he knew that. He had been so caught up in his grievances, in his pain that he had totally ignored hers. He had forgotten that she knew exactly how it felt to lose everything, to have dreams fall apart on you. And he realized that he knew absolutely nothing about where she had been for four years and what might have occurred there.

And he had thrown his watch at her. He couldn't see any mark of it on her face and knew relief that it hadn't left a scar. He dropped his head into his hands as he felt the guilt again. He had never thrown anything at anyone before. Well, except that one time he had thrown a book at Maes, but Maes had been really annoying that day, and he had missed because Maes had ducked. They had laughed over that for years.

His fingers slid into his hair and he sighed as he looked down at the floor between his boots.

"You look like shit, Mustang." A sleepy voice told him.

"You don't look much better, Elric." He replied automatically before lifting his head and meeting the hazy golden eyes.

Edward yawned into her arm and kept her head on her arms. Her eyes were tired as they focused on him.

"Why are you here?"

"Hawkeye and Alphonse are worried about you."

Ed scrunched her nose up at that. "There's nothing to worry about so you can go home."

"Somehow I don't think they'd believe you. I know I don't."

"And I should care what you think because…?" Edward mustered up a careless sarcastic voice and her eyes darkened with pain.

Roy leant back on the couch and stretched his legs out. He looked at her as she stared back at him.

"Don't get too comfortable, Mustang, you're not staying long."

"I'll stay as long as I like, Edward."

She looked at him and saw the pallor of his thin face. His hair was mussed from his fingers, there were wrinkles on his forehead and his collar was undone. Damn the man, he was looking human. He really did look bad too. She wondered when he had last slept or eaten. And then frowned at herself for thinking of that. He was a bastard remember? A cruel, heartless bastard.

"Why are you really here, Mustang?" Edward asked with a sigh.

"I told you. Alphonse and Riza are worried about you." Roy said clearly then added, "and I am too."

Ed's eyebrow rose. "Yeah right. I've seen your concern for your subordinates. No thanks."

Roy's fingers tightened and his jaw clenched.

"Let me guess, you're going to deny that all happened aren't you? Going to stay in that little hole of yours? Good luck to you." Edward said with a callous disregard and turned her head on her arms to face away from him.

Roy removed his gloves and put them in his pocket. He didn't trust himself. He straightened on the couch.

"I'm not denying it, Edward."

"Good for you," she replied in a bored tone, but he could see the tension across her shoulders.

"I'd even apologise if I thought you'd accept it." He said as calmly as he could.

Edward's head shot up and she was spinning on her chair, kicking it back with the greatcoat as she stood up, complete shock on her face. "What the fuck…?"

He looked at her wide eyes and stunned face and tried to stop his hands from shaking visibly.

"An apology? From you?" Edward thrust her fingers through her hair and tugged. "You're right, I wouldn't accept it. Do you think it would cover what you did to me?" Her eyes went dark and she stared at him.

"Do you even understand what you did? Or is this another ploy to have an excuse to hide away again?"

"I'm not hiding Edward."

"Those little holes are hard to leave, Mustang. They follow you around, they keep reaching out to you. All they want is you to stay." She looked at him and saw the understanding on his face. His lips moved as if to speak but his face darkened as the words wouldn't come.

"You can't say it yet though can you? You're still caught up in the guilt." Ed laughed and it was not a happy sound.

"At least I am trying." Roy managed to say.

"And it's a start." Ed said and had to fight not to sneer at him. She knew this would be hard for him, she'd been there, done that and it had not been easy at all.

"How did you get out, Edward?" And it was his first open acknowledgement that she too had suffered.

Her eyes lost their focus and sorrow filled her voice. "I had a friend who threw me in the river." She almost smiled at the memory. "He wouldn't let me out until I admitted I had a problem."

"He sounds like a good friend."

"Yes, he was. I nearly killed him after I recovered from the pneumonia." Her voice softened. "I really miss him."

Roy's breath caught and he recalled something she had said that first night back. "Is he… was he your friend who died?"

Ed shook her head slowly. "No, that was someone else." Her voice went hard and Roy saw the tension return to her back.

"I should not have said that you didn't understand, Edward." Roy stood up and his voice was firmer this time. "It was wrong of me."

"I know it was and you did it anyway." Edward looked at him. "It was wrong of me to hate you for being human and I did it anyway." Her eyes stared unfaltering at him. "You think you've had it bad. You have a few scars and that's it. The rest has all been your doing. You are the one that locked yourself away, you are the one that settled into that little hole of pity and guilt. You lost some friends, you killed some people." She paused and took a step closer.

"I lost my brother and could only salvage his soul. I told Maes Hughes about the homunculi and he died going after them. I killed my mother. I died and Al sacrificed not only himself but all the souls of Liore and Ishbal for me. I gave it all up for him and spent four years in a grey world with no alchemy, no automail. Doppelgangers, exact twins of people I knew here, were everywhere and no-one knew me. My father died because of me. My best friend died in my place. His fiancée disappeared and I never found out what happened to her. My brother risked his life to bring me back." Her eyes were clear and the pain was as deep as anything he had ever seen. "It never sounds like much when you recite it, but every single one of those times is a scar that I will never be able to forget. I will carry them for the rest of my life."

She took a deep breath and lifted her right hand and pulled the glove from it. Silver metal shone, cold and brilliant.

"You told me a watch would never save me and it never has. It's the people around me that saved me. Alphonse, Hawkeye and the rest of them, even you as I grew up. You kept me from losing myself in the desperation and guilt. And on the other side it was the friends I finally allowed myself to make after I gave up on finding a way home. They dragged me out of my misery and pain." She looked at him and her eyes were determined. "You won't let the people around you help you, you don't see the faith they have in you despite everything you think you failed at and do you know why, Mustang?"

Roy shook his head. He was reeling inside. Everything she had said so far had hit him hard. He had known she had suffered but until she had listed what she saw as her sins and guilts he had not understood the full extent of her burdens.

"Because you're a fucking idiot." Edward said and her arm swung, her automail fist striking his jaw. He fell like a ton of bricks.

* * *

Alphonse Elric sat back in the chair and smiled at his hostess.

"Thank you Captain." He said with a smile. "That was delicious."

"Al, I told you, call me Riza." She grinned. "And you should really thank Jean as he did most of the cooking."

She smiled as her blond partner came in from the kitchen.

"Don't listen to her Al. There's nobody that opens a tin like Riza can." He laughed lightly as Riza frowned at him.

"I'm glad I came tonight." Al said.

"We're glad you came too, Al," Jean said as his hand brushed Riza's shoulder in a small caress before he collected the rest of the dirty plates and headed back to the kitchen.

"I'll help," Al offered as he stood up and followed.

Jean started washing and Al drying, while Riza smiled at them both from the doorway.

"They'll be fine, Al." Riza said after she noticed Al frowning again. "Don't worry about it."

"But what if they fight again?" Al asked.

"They're in a library Al. And we all know they both would never damage a book." Riza replied reassuringly.

"But what about each other, babe?" Jean grinned as he looked at them both.

"No, Jean. I think they're past that stage now."

"But Captain Havoc does have a point, Riza." Al said worriedly. "Ed wouldn't let that happen again. She'd hit back."

"Both of you, stop it!" Riza commanded. "It will be fine. Roy will come into work as per normal and Edward will be at your dorm, Al. And that's all." She glared at them.

"Yes Ma'am." Al said meekly.

Riza's face twisted as Havoc started laughing.

* * *

Roy Mustang opened his mouth wide and felt his jaw crack as he moved it from side to side. He closed his mouth and rubbed the red mark that was going to be a lovely shade of bruise by the morning. He moved his hand up and gently touched the lump that had formed over his right eye. He winced as it throbbed.

"You really are an idiot, Mustang." Edward said as she came back into the room with a damp cloth she had scrounged from somewhere. She knelt in front of him and placed the wet cloth on the lump. She grinned as he winced again. "You can't blame me for this one."

"Oh yes I can, Edward. It's all your fault." Roy said as he felt the damp coolness sting. She settled the cloth and covered most of his right eye with it as well.

"I didn't put the table there."

"If you hadn't tried to break my jaw I wouldn't have been anywhere near the table." He retorted.

"If you hadn't been in the way of my hand I wouldn't have hit your jaw."

"Fist, Edward, that was a fist, not a hand."

Edward shrugged.

"Are we even?" Roy asked after a short pause.

Edward looked at him and pulled the cloth back a bit to see the red lump. "Yes, I think so," she said as she replaced it.

"Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to have to do that again." Roy said lightly.

Edward kept her eyes on the cloth as she held it pressed on his forehead. "I'm not going to apologise for this."

Roy shook his head and didn't get very far as his head throbbed and pain shot through him. He hissed softly. "I don't want you to."

The silence was almost comfortable. Both could feel words hovering around them waiting to be said but neither wanted to speak just yet. Edward turned the cloth over to the cooler side and slid it back over the lump. Roy closed his eye as the cloth obscured his vision again. It's rather surprising how peaceful it is, he thought. He spoke before he knew he was going open his mouth.

"That was quite a list you have, Edward." He said quietly. He felt her freeze and her hand pressed harder against the lump briefly.

"Just a few of the high points," she replied in an overly casual tone. She didn't pretend to misunderstand him.

"And the low points?" He queried, finding it easier to talk with his eye closed.

"They're the ones you never get forgiven for." Her voice was quiet.

"I don't hope for that." The words were out before he could stop them and he stiffened. This was more than he wanted to admit to.

"You can have all the forgiveness in the world, but you are always going to feel responsible for them." Edward commented and he could hear nothing in her voice but the simple statement. She sighed. "It's the pain that gets eased by forgiveness. If you ever get to believing you deserve it in the first place."

"Who doesn't forgive you, Ed?" Roy asked softly as he heard the pain in her voice.

"Nina. Alfons." Her voice whispered almost brokenly and Roy kept his eye closed. "Mother."

There was a brief silence and then Roy murmured. "The Rockbells, Ishbal." His voice cracked. "Maes."

"Me." The word echoed in the room as they spoke simultaneously.

The silence lasted a lot longer and it was tinged with embarrassment on both sides. Neither had intended to speak that thought out loud.

"I'll go rewet the cloth," Edward said as she stood up and hurried from the room. Roy leant back in the chair and his fingers again ran over the now cool lump.

What was happening, he asked himself. He had spent three weeks in an agony of guilt and self-pity and begrudging self-awareness trying to come to terms with four years of denial and suddenly he was having serious talks with Edward? He was reminded again of just how mature she was. Perhaps it was time to let go of some of the guilt. After all, if she could do it, there was no reason why he couldn't. And then he grimaced, he was sounding like a schoolboy. He knew it wasn't going to be that easy and he really didn't know if he could do it. But maybe he could try. Maybe.

Edward stood just outside the room. This was just too surreal, she thought. Deep and meaningfuls with Mustang? Had the world ended and she'd missed it? Why was he being so damned human all of a sudden? She couldn't keep her usual balance with him when he was like this. It was too easy to talk to him, too easy to understand him. She hadn't even been able to call him 'bastard'. She frowned and pushed through the door. It just wasn't fair somewhere.

Roy looked up as she entered and took the proffered cloth and watched as she went to the table and straightened up some of the papers and books. He placed the wet cloth on his forehead, this time folding it so he could see. She was frowning and he was reasonably certain that their little confidences were done for the time being. For which he was rather glad. He didn't want to talk about it anymore for a while either.

"How is the research going, Edward?" Roy asked with curiousity.

There was a brief pause before Ed said, "Fine, just fine."

"Edward." Roy said firmly. He knew prevarication when he heard it. "You've been in here for three solid weeks, plus the weeks before…that."

"We still have one more week left, Mustang." Ed said without turning around and ignoring his pause. She didn't want to talk anymore. She could feel a wave of exhaustion creeping up on her.

"Edward, what is it?" Roy asked and stood up.

She turned around as he moved and she took a step back, her hand lifting up to stop him from coming closer. Her face was pale and there was an indescribable look in her eyes. It was a look of determination and apology and a bone-deep weariness.

He ignored her hand and stepped closer. "What is it, Edward?"

She licked her lips a couple of times and took a deep breath. As she spoke he already knew what she was going to say.

"It's permanent. I'm always going to be female."

Roy stopped and looked at her.

"How long have you known?"

"Just over a week."

"And Al?"

"I haven't told him yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to be completely sure."

"And are you?"

"Yes."

"Then tell him."

"I can't. Not yet."

Roy ran his hand through his hair. "Edward, if you are sure then you have to tell him."

"I can't. If there's a single doubt, a smidgeon of possibility that I'm wrong, he's going to spend the rest of his life trying to find it. I can't let Al do that." Ed tugged at her tail and waved a hand at the books and notes. "I've only got one more week. Al already suspects it's not reversible and he's starting to look at ways to revamp his array to make it work. I am not going to let him risk himself like that again."

"Al wouldn't be so irresponsible, Edward." Roy objected.

"You saw him that day in your office. How determined he was." Ed pointed out.

"Yes, but that was before you did all this research."

Ed sighed and the tiredness swept over her again. "Al is as stubborn as I am, you know that. Unless I have perfect proof that it can not be reversed he will keep looking for it." Ed reiterated. "I have to have the proof and I have to be able to convince him that I accept this result."

Roy puffed out his breath and stared at Edward. "And do you?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." Ed floundered a bit. "I guess I always had a small hope that it would be reversible so I'm not completely accepting of this result. But I also knew not to expect anything else but this."

Ed picked up her greatcoat from the floor absently and slung it around her shoulders before shifting the papers from the couch and curling herself up in the corner. The exhaustion, both mental and physical was hitting her hard. "I just want him to accept it. I can go forward like this. I said that at the beginning. I just need him to accept that."

Roy looked at her and sat on the other end of the couch.

"I forgive him, I just want him to forgive himself." She murmured and he watched the golden eyes close slowly.

"Hawkeye sent me here to get you back to your dorm, you do realize that Edward, don't you? Not to let you stay another night." He said to her sleeping form. Her words were almost tripping over themselves as she sleepily responded.

"Shut up Mustang, and turn the damned light off."

* * *

Captain Riza Hawkeye looked up as the sound of booted feet echoed down the hall. She frowned as Breda appeared.

"What's up, Hawkeye?"

"The Brigadier-General's not in yet." She replied. She looked at the clock. Despite his complete withdrawal from normal human activities of the last three weeks, he had always been punctual. He was running half an hour late already. Her fingernails tapped out an indecisive tattoo on her desk before she picked up the phone and called his home number. There was no answer. It rang out.

"Breda, go to the Elric's dorm and see if Al and Ed are there." She said firmly.

Breda rolled his eyes as he left. He knew better than to ignore that tone in her voice. Hawkeye was on the warpath.

He returned ten minutes later with Alphonse.

"Sister never came back last night again." Al said before Hawkeye could ask.

"The library." Hawkeye stated.

"I rang and checked. Ed's not there, they don't know when she left." Al replied.

Fuery entered the office and they all turned to him.

"Have you seen the Brigadier-General, Kain?"

"Have you seen my sister?"

He shook his head. "No. I haven't seen either of them." He looked at the concerned faces. "Why? Have you lost them?"

Havoc came in and shook his head when questioned.

The sound of running feet had them all turning to the door and Falman rushed in. They stared at him in shock. He never ran.

"What is it Vato?" Havoc asked as the grey haired man tried to catch his breath.

"The Brigadier-General," he puffed and they all looked concerned as they nodded.

"What's happened to him?" Fuery asked impatiently.

"And Fullmetal," Falman tried to continue.

"Sister! What's happened to her?" Al shouted as the rest began all speaking at once.

Falman looked at them and shouted as loud as he could to make himself heard by them all.

"They're having breakfast together in the mess!"

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang and Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric ignored the other soldiers as they sat in the mess and argued. Their forks scraped over their trays occasionally as they used their utensils more as pointers than cutlery.

They had both been a bit embarrassed when they had woken up on opposite sides of the couch earlier, although Edward had passed it off with her usual insouciance and made no mention of their late night confessions. For which Roy had been rather grateful.

"When did you eat last?" Edward had asked suddenly as she folded her greatcoat over the couch.

Roy had stopped in the middle of putting his coat on and thought. "I don't know."

"Neither do I. Do you want to try the mess for breakfast?" Ed had asked casually.

Roy had opened his mouth to automatically decline when he had suddenly changed his mind and nodded.

"Alright Edward, but dare I suggest you clean up first."

"Why?" Ed had looked a bit taken aback at his acceptance and her eyes had narrowed at his comment.

"You have ink on your face."

They had made a side trip to the dorms, Edward using the female facilities and Mustang using the male ones to freshen up slightly. Ten minutes later they had strolled into the mess and completely shocked the other diners. The bruise on Mustang's chin and the lump above his eye had not gone un-noticed. They had calmly lined up and filled their trays and moved to a small table near the coffee urns.

Those on the nearest tables had listened carefully and found the conversation to be concentrated on alchemy. A fact that everyone else became aware of as the conversation grew louder.

"Shut up Flame-ass. Puddled iron may soften at white heat but it's more malleable and durable for larger structures. It's ..."

"Listen Half-Metal, I think I understand the process better than you. If you don't apply the heat at the correct temperature…"

They both stopped and looked at the gouge that suddenly appeared on the table between their trays. The echo of the single shot filled the suddenly silent room.

"Hawkeye, so glad you could join us for breakfast." Mustang said blandly without turning around.

"Hey Al, grab me another plate of eggs will ya?" Ed called as she scraped the last bit off her tray.

Alphonse took a deep breath and deliberately filled a tray with eggs before he carried them over to where Edward was sitting. He placed the tray down carefully and hugged her.

"What the…?" Ed asked bemused as Al merely stared at her as he pulled his arms away. He then lifted the tray of eggs and tipped it over her.

"If you ever make me worry like that again Edward, so help me I am going to nail you to the fucking floor!"

He then stalked out of the mess leaving his dumbfounded sister staring after him.

Edward turned on the others as egg slipped down the side of her face. "Ok, which one of you taught my little brother to swear?"

* * *

Roy Mustang didn't see much of Edward during the next week. She and Al had gone back into the library and from what he could overhear when Al spoke to Hawkeye, Ed was being more responsible and less obsessive about the research.

He had tried to be less distant but it was hard to change the habits of so many years. So he didn't try to force it and merely left his office door open. It seemed to be a good start, although he wasn't completely sure of it because he found Havoc leaning against his doorjamb twice within the first hour with a bet he was absolutely positive the Brigadier-General just had to be involved in.

"You have a problem Captain and I suggest you get some help for it before I notify Captain Hawkeye." Mustang had said after the second attempt and Havoc had left him alone after that. Although he had heard the smile in Havoc's voice as he was retelling the story later to Breda.

He still was unable to initiate anything and he realized how grateful he had been that Edward had asked him to breakfast that morning. As awkward as it had felt accepting the invitation, he was understanding now how much harder it was to ask in the first place. Maybe he would ask Edward to lunch one day to try it. He could repay her back for breakfast.

The bruise on his jaw was fading and the lump had gone down. It had been a major component of the conversation that morning.

"_What happened to your face, Chief?"_

"_Did Edward do that?"_

"_I think it was the table, wasn't it Mustang." Edward had remarked._

_Mustang had nodded. "Yes, the table."_

_The rest of them had looked disappointed and only Hawkeye caught the quick grin that had flashed between the two of them._

He smiled at the folder on his desk and then it faded. Tomorrow was Elysia's birthday party and he always found it very painful but he had never refused to go. It was the one thing he had promised himself and Maes. Never to let his best friend's family down.

* * *

When Gracia opened the front door to Roy Mustang everyone else was already there. She smiled as she saw him. It was a shock to her when he suddenly hugged her, something he hadn't done since Maes had died. She hugged him back with a glad smile.

"Come in Roy. Elysia will be happy to see you."

"Thank you Gracia." He said and smiled.

He followed her into the house, shedding his coat along the way and felt the pang he always felt when no Maes came bounding through to greet him. His steps always slowed as he passed by Maes' study and Gracia always let him take his own time as she went through to the kitchen.

"I think it's a bad idea, Sister." Roy stopped completely as he heard Al's voice coming from the study.

"I don't see how its bad, Al."

"But it'll hurt people, Ed. We all remember what Mr Hughes was like. If you do that it'll just remind everyone that he's gone."

"Only because that's all everyone thinks about, Al." Ed paused and Mustang kept listening, wondering what on earth they were talking about. "Listen Brother, Maes Hughes was the best friend we ever had. He was annoying, he was fun, he was smart and he was better than I'll ever be. Elysia and Gracia were his world and he shared that freely with everyone he ever met, whether he knew them or not. I know its hard with him not being here, but he wouldn't want another birthday to go past without some photos of it."

"You can't, Sister. Please."

"Alphonse, how many pictures do you have with Maes in them?" Ed asked softly and then answered her own question. "None. Because he was always taking them, never having any taken of him. How many do you think Gracia has of him? I bet she has plenty of Elysia and plenty with her in them, but I bet there's not many of him."

There was a silence and Edward spoke again, her voice barely carrying to Mustang's ears outside the door.

"Al, don't you think Gracia might like to be able to look at the pictures of all of us when we've left? To be able to share the memories with Elysia? She never got upset with Maes when he was taking all those pictures."

There was no reply from Al and Mustang swallowed. Since Maes had left, no-one had thought of how many moments had disappeared because no-one had caught them, preserved them. Maes had always been their eyes.

Mustang straightened up and pushed the door open wide. The room had not changed in four years. For a moment he almost saw Maes wave at him from the desk chair. He fixed his eye on Edward and Alphonse. A camera sat on the small table between them.

Mustang stepped into the room and picked up the camera.

"I will take the pictures." He said firmly and he turned, leaving them behind him gaping at each other.

* * *

Author's Note: I am dreadfully sorry for the delay on this. We got a new computer and trying to network everything meant I was without any pc access for a couple of days while they all tried to make it work, and it's still not completely done yet.

So a nice long chapter will be next, to make up for the lateness of this one. And hopefully, they won't talk so much next time either…lol… Dialogue can be so difficult to write sometimes.

Thank you once again to all those that reviewed, anon and otherwise. I am always so overwhelmed with the response I get from you all to this story.

And again, I apologise profusely for the lateness of this.

silken :)


	14. Parties and Partings

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Parties and Partings**

"What did you do to the Brigadier-General, Sis?" Al asked after Mustang had left the study with the camera in his hand.

"Me? I didn't do anything, Al." Ed protested. "Does he even know how to use that thing?"

They looked at each other and their eyes widened. They walked to the door quickly and then through the kitchen to the backyard.

It was a pleasant day. The snow from two days ago was melting patchily and the exposed winter grass was a vivid green in the afternoon sun. There was no wind and the day felt almost warm.

The small paved area at the back had two tables set up, one for the adults and one for the dozen screaming kids who landed on Ed the minute she appeared through the door. They were led by their bright green-eyed tyrant who screamed "Sister!" in Ed's ear as they all landed in a heap on the ground.

Laughter came from her friends as they stood around the tables and watched as Ed struggled to get out from underneath the pile of little bodies. The glaring look they received made them laugh harder and they just knew she was biting her tongue to avoid letting the children hear the more colourful aspects of her vocabulary.

"Some warning would've be nice, Elysia." Ed complained as she finally managed to sit up. Elysia had her arms wrapped around Ed's neck and she was comfortably ensconced on her lap. Two others had decided Ed's legs made great seats and another was hanging over her shoulder, the rest were trying to lean against her and she felt completely surrounded.

"But where's the fun in that, Sis?" Elysia said with a toothy grin. Elysia had adopted Edward as soon as she had arrived. She didn't remember too much of Edward from before, mainly the braid and the coat but their sharing a birthday had made them instant sisters in her eyes. And the silver wreath she had been shown and told would be kept for when she was older had won her complete loyalty. No-one else had given her anything as grown-up and at eight she was starting to feel that she wasn't so much a 'little' girl anymore.

"Why don't you pick on Al?" Ed protested.

"He's a boy, ewwwww!" Elysia and three of her little girlfriends said all at once and scrunched their faces up. Ed had to choke back a laugh especially when she caught sight of Al blushing. She bit the inside of her lip before she said in a contemplative manner.

"But he's my brother, right?" And several little heads nodded. "And I'm your sister now, right?" And Elysia bobbed her head while the others seemed to think about this. "That now makes him _your_ brother too." Ed said with a triumphant grin.

"Really?" Elysia looked from Ed to Al and back again. "Honest?"

Ed nodded. "And you know the best thing about brothers?" She said and dropped her voice slightly. Elysia and her friends all shook their heads and leant in closer. "They're fair game." She grinned at them all and then looked at Al who took a step back when all the little eyes fixed on him too.

"Oh no, Sister…Edward, no!" His hands began waving in front of him as Ed and her little army began to stand up. He took another step back, but they were too quick for him and Al barely made five steps before he got unceremoniously tripped and smothered by a dozen children and his laughing sister.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye, dressed casually in jeans and soft jumper, laughed at them as Gracia came and stood beside her, a couple of glasses in her hands.

"It is so good to see those two having fun like that." She said as she accepted the glass with a nodded thank you. "I don't think I've ever seen them play like that before."

Gracia smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen Elysia this excited before either." She took a sip from her own glass.

"You've just gotten yourself another daughter and a son, how does that make you feel, Gracia?" Riza grinned at her.

Gracia laughed. "Thankful that they're old enough so I don't have to go through all the toilet training and tantrums again."

Riza joined in with her laughter and they lifted their glasses in a silent salute. The click of a camera distracted them and they saw Roy Mustang with Falman at his side.

Riza looked at Gracia but the gentle-eyed woman merely smiled at her.

"You don't mind?" Riza asked softly and Gracia shook her head.

"No, I don't. Everyone always tiptoes around the subject with me, Riza. Even you do it at times. I know everyone misses him, I know I do every day." She nodded across to where Ed and Al were still wrussling with the kids. "Edward asked me earlier if I would mind if she used the camera. No-one has ever asked me that before, Riza."

"I guess we're all afraid of hurting you."

"Or yourselves." Gracia stated. Her green eyes deepened with their blue lights as she looked at Riza. "It's been four years, Riza. I still hurt every day, but it hurts more when people shy away from it, like it's something taboo. Is it so hard for people to accept? That Maes is dead, that he will never come back?" She paused and looked out unseeing across the garden. "Maes will never walk back through that door, I am never going to feel him at my side or in my arms again. Some days I don't like it even though I accept it. But I have Elysia and I have all of you and I have all the memories." She smiled at Riza. "And now, I am going to have some more memories, although I'm not sure Ed should have let Roy take the camera."

Riza looked over and saw Roy and Falman having what appeared to be a disagreement about something on the camera. Her eyebrow rose. Every year she knew exactly the expression he would wear on his face this day, but today, although his face was sombre it lacked the bitter edge he had carried in past years. The aching regret seemed to have diminished.

"I doubt Edward had much choice," Riza replied absently as she watched Roy lift the camera up and aim it towards the group of Havoc, Fuery and Breda near the larger table. "Are you really sure you want a memory of that?" She asked.

Gracia laughed.

"What did I miss out on?" A light voice enquired and the two women turned around to greet Schieska who had slipped up behind them.

"Did you get them, Schieska?" Gracia asked.

"Yes, I put them in kitchen." Schieska smiled as Gracia sighed in relief.

"How many did you get?" Riza asked curiously.

"Two dozen."

"Why so many? There's only 12 kids." Gracia queried.

"Yes, but at least half a dozen other 'bigger kids' who are going to want some too." Schieska replied and they all shared a grin. Gracia had realized earlier that she had forgotten the small cakes from the local bakery that were a special treat as they were so richly filled with cream and chocolate custard. Schieska had offered to go and get them as it was almost a tradition to serve those cakes at any gathering here. And especially on Elysia's birthday.

"Why is the Brigadier-General taking photos?" Schieska asked suddenly as she looked up and saw the camera pointed in their direction and… was that a smile on the Brigadier-General's face?

"I believe he took it away from Edward." Riza remarked.

"Does he know how to use it?" Schieska asked hesitantly, "or is he just pretending he does?"

Gracia and Riza spluttered a bit at that and turned away briefly.

"I think that's why Vato is with him, Schieska," Riza replied as she regained her composure although her lips twitched. Both Gracia and Riza watched as Schieska's eyes lingered on Vato Falman and they shared a quick smile. Schieska had been intrigued with the grey haired man for several months now, but didn't seem able to attract his attention in return.

The crisp sound of alchemy had them looking across the garden. Ed and Al were kneeling in the centre of all the kids and the women could see the flaring light.

"Edward and Al are better than any party entertainment I could have hired." Gracia said with gentle smile and Riza and Schieska laughed.

* * *

Havoc, Breda and Fuery had settled themselves into their chairs and were watching the others with a comfortable complacency.

They had managed to win points from each other on which child would scream the loudest, which one had cried first and which one had managed to hit someone. They had several others pending for the actual meal – like who would eat the most, who would throw up first and who would start the food fight. And Fuery had been so bold as to put Al's name up for the last one to the great amusement of the other two which had made Havoc nominate Ed for reasons of revenge.

They watched Elysia running to her mother with something in her hands and when she held it up they all saw the small horse.

"Sister made it for me!" She shouted happily before running back to where Ed and Al were grinning at each other. Two minutes later she was running straight back again.

"Look what Brother did!" And she held up a small cat.

The three men watched the group and saw the flash and flare of almost continual alchemy as everyone ended up with something.

"Ed's going to need a new pair of gloves after all this." Havoc remarked with a grin.

"Maybe we should have gotten her a couple of pairs." Fuery said.

Breda shook his head. "No. I think Ed will like what we got her and she can always fix her gloves with alchemy." Then he added rhetorically, "I mean, how many times has she repaired them already when she does the arm thing?"

They all laughed. Ed had always fixed her clothes with alchemy. They didn't see that changing any time soon.

"I wish I'd had a bet on for the Chief and that camera," Havoc muttered as the camera clicked loudly nearby as Mustang took a picture of them.

"I'm just amazed that the Brigadier-General knows how to use one," Falman said as he walked over to join them. "I thought I'd have to teach him, but he seems quite competent."

"I thought I heard Ed asking about it. How'd he get it?" Breda asked curiously.

"I believe the Brigadier-General just took it from Edward." Falman replied sedately. Then he grinned. "I think he said something about Edward being too irresponsible to be entrusted with it. Although I doubt he will be as enraptured with it as Brigadier-General Hughes was."

"I hope not." Breda groaned.

They all laughed and didn't notice Mustang capture them all nicely in one frame.

* * *

Roy Mustang was finding the position of cameraman to be rather a unique experience. He began to understand why Maes had always loved it. Watching other people and just getting that smile or look and knowing that you'd always be able to see it. To be able to see it exactly as it was. To know that he was capturing those moments gave him a sense of accomplishment that he hadn't felt in a long time.

It was such a small thing he thought, and yet it was like a revelation. He could almost see Maes grin at him and point at Gracia as if to say 'take one more for me, please.' For the first time in four years, Roy felt that he _really_ was being there for his best friend's family. Every year he had always come to Elysia's birthday and he had always brought something around for Gracia's birthday. But he had never really participated, he had always sat and watched and felt guilty. Today as he watched from behind the camera, he was again made aware of how distant he had kept himself.

He looked over at Edward, She and Al were laughing with all the kids and he didn't think he'd ever seen her happier. But he knew now what demons she was hiding beneath that laughter. He knew that she kept them locked up somewhere deep inside and that she rarely let them out because she didn't see her suffering or pain as something more special than anyone else's. He watched as she handed a little doll to one small girl and saw the determination behind her smile. Ed was still trying to protect the innocent, he thought. And her brother he added mentally, as he saw her quick appraising look at Al.

She would never change, Roy thought and then realized that she had changed. She had grown up, she had some self-control, and she even seemed wise on occasion. He took her picture without realizing it as she smiled at Elysia. It was strange to see her smile so much. He didn't recall Ed smiling that often back then. Back then he had been determined and focused and had rarely shared anything with anyone other than Al. And back then too, he had always wanted to protect those he saw as innocent. Nina, the children at Xenotime, Rose and the others at Liore.

"Uncle Roy, look at me!" Elysia's happy shout interrupted his thoughts and he looked into her wide green eyes as she pointed to the ring of flowers on her head. "Take my picture, Uncle Roy!" She demanded imperiously as she smiled at him and he smiled back and obediently lifted the camera to take her picture. Those eyes, so reminiscent of her father's, beamed at him.

When the camera clicked, she ran forward and threw her arms around his waist in an impromptu hug that made him completely freeze. Tentatively he placed one hand on her hair and just let it rest there for a moment. He looked up and saw Edward watching him, a small smile twisting her lips as if she understood exactly how terrified he suddenly felt. The simple trust he could feel coming from the thin arms scared him to the bone. He suddenly understood responsibility on a whole new level. No wonder Maes had always been so good at his job and determined to help him: he had known that with the State safe so was his family. No wonder Ed had been so focused to get Al back, feeling that he had broken that trust would have torn him apart. He felt a sense of wonder within him as he looked back down at Elysia and his eye glittered as he swallowed abruptly.

He looked at Ed and he couldn't stop the grin that broke across his face.

A flowered wreath sat on her head. Al was grinning as he obligingly alchemised flower after flower for the girls to use to decorate Edward. Her hair had been pulled out of its tail and it hung down her back to her hips in a solid sheet of gold. The camera clicked before he knew it.

Edward glared at him but it was only half-hearted. Edward was still seeing Mustang's frozen expression when Elysia had hugged him. He could see her blink at him with a slightly surprised look in her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be using that somewhere else, Mustang?" She asked, rather bemused at the grin on his face. When was the last time she had seen him look like that?

"No, no, Sister. Uncle Roy needs to take your picture too." Elysia protested and she pulled Uncle Roy over to the group and made him sit on the grass with them. Ed smirked at the uncomfortable look that crossed his face.

"And maybe, Uncle Roy needs some flowers too," Ed said in the sweetest tone she could manage. Roy shot her a deadly look and she grinned at him. The grin widened as Elysia quickly picked up one of the finished wreaths and placed it on Roy's dark hair. He smirked back as one of Elysia's friends slipped a flower behind Ed's ear.

The girls seemed to think that one wreath was all Roy needed and they concentrated their efforts on Edward. Bracelets and necklaces and another couple of wreaths landed on her in vivid reds and white and gold. Al kept grinning as he supplied them all, changing the colours occasionally for variety.

Roy was very aware of everyone watching them and he felt rather silly with the flowers on his head. This was further out of his comfort zone than he wanted to be but he kept his unease hidden beneath a smirk and took the occasional picture of an increasingly be-flowered Edward.

Edward however was torn between what looked like complete embarrassment and pure joy. She too was aware of everyone looking at her, but she was also aware that she had never been able to just enjoy a moment like this before. This was the feeling she felt she had missed out on when she had passed the exam, this was the happiness she had envied in Ralke. And to see those familiar green eyes in that small face smiling at her, laughing with her was the redemption she had always wanted. Elysia hadn't looked twice and had just accepted Ed as she was, without any questions, any doubts and Ed had never felt so humbled in her life.

She hadn't thought before she had opened her mouth and offered to take the pictures Maes had always done and Gracia's face had twisted in a way Ed hadn't recognized. But she had understood the grateful smile that came with Gracia's acquiescence. She hadn't expected Al's reluctance or Mustang's sudden take-over of the camera. She had seen the terror on his face when Elysia had hugged him and she could see again how hard he was finding the world outside his little hole. It was never easy and being here had to be making it harder for him. Despite his casual façade, she wouldn't be surprised if he hid away for a week after this to recover his balance.

But having Mustang sitting there looking uncomfortable despite his smirk, was a decided bonus. She wondered if she could persuade him to give the camera up to someone else so they could get a picture of him. Then no-one would ever forget it. She grinned; now that would be a perfect birthday present.

"You know Edward," Mustang said as he looked at her bedecked in the flowers. "You do look more like that golden flowery alchemist you called yourself before." He paused and watched as her eyes narrowed at him. He had a hard time keeping his face straight as the temptation overtook him.

"Now you really could be... Fullpetal."

Edward just barely remembered that there were children around so she couldn't let loose with the string of curses that leapt into her mind. She also just barely remembered that he had the camera in his hands so she couldn't attack him. She took a deep breath and did the only thing she could do.

She clapped her hands.

* * *

Havoc was refilling Riza's drink when he glanced over at the flowered group. He grinned at the flowers on Mustang's head and smiled at Edward's decorations. He watched as Edward grinned at Mustang and Mustang's smirked deepened.

"Hey babe. Do you wanna bet…?" He kept his eyes fixed on them as he murmured quietly. Riza followed his gaze.

"No, hon, you never win those bets." Riza smiled at him. "You still think Breda and Fuery will get together."

"But Breda was holding him, Riz."

"Kain had fallen from a ladder, Jean. Breda just happened to be the one who caught him. That's all it was."

"But he didn't have to help him out for the next week like he did."

"Kain twisted his back as he fell, he needed the help and Breda volunteered." Riza sighed and laughed softly at him. "Give it up hon, you are never going win that one."

Jean sighed and wrapped his arms around her for a brief hug before he went back to where the others were.

Riza frowned thoughtfully and looked over at Edward. Jean had seen her as a woman, seemingly forgetting Edward had been male for most of her life. With her hair loose and the flowers Edward did look completely female. There was no sign of her ever having been anything else. Even me, she thought. I see Edward as 'her'. I wonder how Ed sees herself.

"Are you alright, Riza?" Gracia asked.

Riza turned and looked at her friend.

"When you look at Edward, what do you see?"

Gracia tilted her head in bewilderment but looked across and saw Edward smiling as Elysia placed another wreath on her golden hair.

"I see Edward."

"But do you see her as a man or a woman?"

"She's a woman… ahhh." Gracia nodded in understanding. "Yes, I see her as a woman even though I know that she was male."

"How do you think Ed sees herself?"

They looked at each other.

"She's been so focused on the exam and then all the research she's been doing. And Edward has that ability to ignore things until she has to deal with them." Riza said slowly. "And the time they allocated for their research ends tomorrow."

The loud clap drew their gaze back to Edward and they saw her eyes blazing as she glared at Mustang and slapped her hands on the ground.

"Oh lord, what did Roy do now?" Riza asked in a long-suffering tone.

* * *

The ground shuddered in a slow wave and snow slid from the corners of the yard in a concerted rush. Before Mustang knew what was happening he was covered in snow. Snow came up to his neck and only his head and hands were free from the icy blanket. He shivered, feeling the coldness seeping through his clothes and melting against his skin.

"Uncle Roy's a snowman!" Elysia shouted happily as she bounced between them. "Look Mummy, look what Sister did!"

Roy sat there and glared at Edward. Edward started laughing as Elysia ran between them, her comment striking her as the funniest thing she had ever heard. She kept laughing as Elysia kept running around Roy, her whole face lit up. The anger at Mustang's comment disappeared as she watched Elysia enjoy the moment. His glare made her laugh more.

"I think he looks more like a snowball," Havoc drawled and Roy knew complete humiliation as Falman leant down and removed the camera from his hands and took a picture.

Edward caught a glimpse of Mustang's face and saw the rising anger in it. Her laughter slowed and she remembered how proud he could be. And he was only just starting to open up. Maybe I overdid it a bit, she thought, her conscience pricking at her, and looked quickly around the laughing group. No-one else seemed to see his increasing discomfort and rage. She noticed thankfully that he hadn't been wearing his gloves but she knew he needed a way out of this.

When snow suddenly slid down her back she yelped and turned around. Al was standing there with a grin on his face and more snow landed in her lap as several of his small cohort dumped it on her. A chuckle from behind her made her look around and a small snowball hit her face as Roy had managed to get one arm free and tossed it at her. A small war began to escalate between the three of them. Al's team seemed to be winning as Ed and Roy mainly aimed at each other.

"That's enough!" Gracia called half an hour later and the wet combatants managed to smile at each other. She began to shepherd them into the house where she had organized towels and dry clothes.

Riza watched them file past and was surprised to see the almost relaxed look on Roy's face. He was wet but his face was clear and there was none of the earlier sadness showing. He shook his head and water dripped around. Edward was right behind him and she got a line of drips across her face. Riza could have sworn he did it on purpose as Edward protested.

It didn't take long for them to return, all dried and clean. Ed had helped Gracia with the kids and had alchemised their clothes dry as Gracia had dried hair and faces. She had done the same to her jeans and jumper but her hair still hung damply down her back. Roy and Al had passed their clothes out and Ed had dried theirs as well.

* * *

It was a relaxed group that sat around the tables for dinner. The conversation was light and general. Havoc and Breda kept an eye on the kids mainly to check on the progress of their bets. Falman had taken over the camera, refusing to let Mustang have it back.

Roy Mustang didn't speak much and he kept slightly away from the table but he watched the others and smiled occasionally. He found his gaze drawn to Ed more than once. She too, didn't speak much and she seemed to be concentrating her efforts to get Al to talk more. Al had started to go quiet and Roy wondered why. He had been grateful to Al for his intervention during the altercation earlier. If he hadn't put that snow on Ed, Roy knew he would've lost his temper just as he had done the other day. It still stung a bit, but he had remembered occasions a long time ago when Maes had also taken great delight in humiliating him, although fortunately he hadn't had a camera for most of them.

He watched with a smile as Ed and Elysia were made to stand together for the cake and Ed looked rather disconcerted when everyone sang. Elysia basked in the attention while Ed seemed a bit unsure. Elysia was allowed to wear the silver circlet and insisted on Edward wearing one of the wreaths they had made earlier and then Elysia made herself comfortable on Ed's lap as the presents came out.

Elysia had received and opened all of hers earlier and now took charge of opening all of Edward's. Books, which Ed smiled happily at and Elysia turned her nose up at, were in most of them but the small box from Havoc, Breda and Fuery had her puzzled. When Ed pulled out the silver chain with a set of dog tags on them, all the adults laughed and Elysia looked around at them bewildered.

"What are they?" She asked as Edward shook her head at the three of them.

"Dog tags for the newest military dog." Breda said grinning.

"People in the military get them, honey," Gracia explained quietly to Elysia.

"Did Daddy have them too?" She asked and the table hushed.

"Yes he did sweetheart. I'll show them to you later." Gracia said calmly but her eyes shimmered slightly.

Elysia smiled and turned to Edward.

"Daddy always said his work was important but he didn't get to finish it."

Edward nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, it was very important and your Uncle Roy finished it for him." She paused to swallow and blink hard. "Your Daddy would be very proud of his princess today."

Edward wrapped her arms around Elysia and leant her head on the small shoulder, her hair falling forward to hide her face. The table was silent for a moment before Gracia stood and came over to hug them.

"He would be proud of you both."

* * *

It was dark when Roy Mustang slipped out the back door. The last of the kids were waiting to leave and everyone was sitting and talking in the lounge with coffee. He needed to be alone now.

He was finding the continual company was starting to wear at him. After being so long isolated, he was feeling overwhelmed and he needed to regain some space. The day had been better than he had expected and he felt that he had actually accomplished something for once. He didn't know how long the feeling would last as he was already feeling it disappear under the urge to leave and seek the sanctuary of his own home.

He was surprised and a bit put out to find Edward standing out here, looking up at the stars with a strangely blank face. She didn't move when the door clicked behind him or even turn as his footsteps echoed across the pavers. He realized she was so lost in her thoughts she didn't know he was here.

Her hair was still loose and the wreath lay unforgotten on her head. She had borrowed a coat and was wrapped warmly against the chill. Her arms were crossed in front of her and her gloved fingers were loosely grasping her elbows.

He watched her for a moment and she stayed oblivious to his presence. She had pushed him off-balance a few times today. With her smiling and laughter and with her retaliation to his jibe. But mostly with her words to Elysia. He hadn't realized that his actions could be viewed that way. He had done what he had to do, thinking it would achieve his goal and get revenge, forgetting all the others, like Maes and his crew who had invested so much in him. They had always supported him, they had put everything on the line for him. He felt shame again at having lost sight of them. No wonder Ed had hit him.

He hadn't achieved his goal completely but he had ended the old ways. The fact that other people had brought about the changes he had wanted to put in place had been a sore point and he had let it grow and fester slightly. It was one of those thoughts to drag out and pick at on those nights when he hated everything and everyone and himself especially.

Maes would have beaten the hell out of him if he'd been here, Roy realized. Maes would not have allowed him to get into such a depressed isolated state. Maes would have dragged him out of it by the ears. He had been someone who yelled at him and kept him on the straight and narrow, someone he had always depended on to tell him the truth and had never let him get above himself and had offered an unconditional friendship with it. He had never been that close to any of the other members of his crew. Even Riza, and he had known her longer than the others, but he knew that was a conscious decision on her part because of her promise to always protect him.

He _had_ finished what they had started all those years ago in that small little room, just not in the way they had planned and Maes would have been the first to accept that. Perhaps he should accept it too. After all he seemed to be the only one still clinging to it.

Roy let his breath out slowly. It felt like he was losing Maes all over again.

He turned slightly and saw Edward still standing there. He watched as she sighed and blinked, her face losing its blankness as tiredness swept across it. She closed her eyes and let her head move in a small circle before opening her eyes again. She looked a bit startled at seeing him there.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Just thinking, Edward. It looked like you were doing something similar." Roy said calmly.

She twisted her lips slightly and looked out across the yard. Without preamble she spoke quietly.

"I'm telling Al tomorrow."

"Do you have your proof?"

"No, there is no absolute proof." She sighed. "But we leave for Resembool the day after tomorrow. I have to tell him before we leave here and I'm not going to tell him on the train."

"How do you think he will take it?" Roy asked curiously.

"I have no idea, but I can't put it off any longer. And he knows it too." She said slowly. "He was thinking about it earlier when he started going quiet."

They stood there silently for a while. Edward felt a strange sense of companionship with Mustang. She was finding him to be one of the few people she could talk to who would understand. She didn't have to watch her words with him. She could be as bratty and childish as she had once been and yet there was now a leveling between them, a sense of similarity. It couldn't have been easy for him today and she knew she had not really helped in any way and yet they could stand here now and be comfortable with each other. She had never thought she would ever consider herself comfortable in his presence.

"Good night Fullpetal," Mustang's light teasing words broke her daze and she glared at him.

"Do not start that again, Mustang." She said threateningly.

He reached across and lightly picked the wreath from her hair and placed it in her hands. "It's hard to resist when you're wearing them, Edward." He smiled and left her standing there as he went back into the house.

She watched him leave and then looked down at the flowers. She smiled wryly and then she shook her head slightly from side to side as she laughed softly. "Damn that man."

* * *

Riza stayed back to help Gracia clean up. They had shooed Ed and Al home after they had offered to help but Gracia had told them that they had done enough already, and besides it was Ed's birthday. She shouldn't have to do chores today.

They stood in the now spotless kitchen and smiled at each other. Gracia put the kettle on and they both sat down, chatting idly while they waited. Talk moved from the success of the party to the recent disagreement between Roy and Edward to other military matters. Gracia made the tea and they sipped slowly feeling very contented.

"Have you picked your dress out yet?" Gracia asked at one point.

"Yes, I found it at that little store, Anderson's, I think it is." Riza replied and Gracia nodded.

"Yes, I know the place. They have some lovely gowns there."

"Yes, they had a couple I really liked."

"Maybe you should take Edward there when she gets back." Gracia said idly and then smiled at Riza's wide eyes. "Well, she will be going, won't she?"

Riza blinked. "You're right." She said slowly. "I never thought of that. Edward was always too young and we were all stationed at Eastern Command anyway. And Al never went, he always seemed to traveling around." Riza's breath puffed out. "She's not going to want to go."

"But it's compulsory if you're here."

"I know and there are no plans to send her out to another post." Riza looked at Gracia. "Edward hates public attention and official functions and this is both. She will not be happy about this."

"I wouldn't tell her until she returns from Resembool." Gracia advised.

"If I thought I could get away with it, I wouldn't tell her until an hour before it started and then force her to get ready and attend at gunpoint." Riza declared.

"Attend what, babe?" Jean asked as he walked into the kitchen after waking from his light doze in the other room.

"The Parade and Ball next month." Riza replied.

He frowned. "What does that have to do with being at gunpoint?" He asked.

"We were talking about Edward attending it this year."

Jean's eyes widened. "The Boss is gonna freak."

* * *

"We need to talk, Al." Edward said slowly as she lifted another pile of books from the floor.

They were in their little room in the Library clearing up the mess of six weeks of research. Books needed to be sorted and placed back on shelves, papers had to be organized and rubbish cleared away. Both had started early and despite the piles of books and papers still remaining they had managed to get a fair amount done. But they had both been preoccupied and they both knew why.

"I know, Edward." Al replied as he pushed a stack of papers into a folder.

Ed stood by the table and looked at her brother. He wasn't meeting her eyes and he looked tense as he appeared to be studying a piece of paper.

"You know what I'm going to say Al." She said.

"Then why say it. Let's just fix it."

"It can't be fixed, Brother." Edward told him firmly.

"I don't believe you, Ed. It has to be reversible. I'm not going to have you stay like that because of my mistake!" Al almost glared at his sister.

"You didn't make a mistake Al." Ed paused. "This is not your fault."

"It was _my_ array, _my_ calculations, Ed! That makes it _my_ responsibility. _My_ fault!" Al slammed his hands on the table. "I will fix this Edward." He said in a determined voice.

"No, Alphonse. I'm not going to let you waste your life trying to find something that doesn't exist!"

"How do you know it doesn't exist? You think this is only place to get answers, Ed? I went everywhere I could when I was searching to find the way to bring you back. I'll go over them all again if I have to!"

"That's stupid, Al. You'll be looking for years."

"I did it before, I can do it again." Al told her. "I will do this, Ed. You can _not_ stop me. I _will_ fix my mistake."

Ed sighed and looked at him. A sad determination filled her face. "Then you'll be doing it on your own, Brother."

Al looked at her, his face stunned. "What do you mean, Ed? We always do things together!"

"Not this time, Al." Ed kept her eyes firmly fixed on his. "I won't go with you on this one."

"But you have to, Sister! With both of us we have a better chance of finding it." Al protested against the stubbornness he saw in her eyes.

"There is nothing to find, Al." Ed said with finality.

"You're giving up." He accused. "You won't even admit to there being a chance of fixing this!"

Ed's eyes darkened. "I am not giving up, Al! I have never given up on anything in my life and you know that! I'm telling you this can _not_ be fixed and that I will live with it!"

"What if I'd said that back when you saved me and put me in the armour, Ed? Would you have listened?"

"Of course not, Al but this is different."

"It's not different, Edward! I made a mistake and I have to fix it like you did with me!"

"This _is_ different, Alphonse! This is my body, this _is_ me. It's not as if my soul got attached to a female body by mistake, Al!"

"But you shouldn't be female!"

"Whether I should or shouldn't be doesn't matter, Al. You've accepted it. Everyone else seems to have as well." She sighed and said softly. "Al, please let it rest. Let it end now and let us go forward like we planned."

"I can't Edward. I just can't." Al replied just as softly.

Edward picked up a book and held it loosely in her hand and let her breath out slowly.

"When we tried to bring Mamma back, the cost was my leg and you. My arm was just enough to get your soul back. When you brought me back, it cost the Stone and the souls of Liore, Ishbal and you. To get you back, it cost me my arm and leg and exile to a place where there was no alchemy." She paused "To bring me back home, it cost you nothing but I gained a leg and became female. I don't see any fair equivalencies there, do you Al?" Ed's voice was clear and she stared steadily at him.

Al remained silent and he had to grip the table hard as her words echoed through him.

"For all the times we have been to that Gate, for all the years we've studied and searched, we have _never_ understood the balances, the way Equivalent Exchange works. It measures and scales things in ways we will _never_ understand. I will not take the risk of losing you again for something that can not be changed."

"And if I say that I am willing to take the risk?" Al asked.

"Then you're being a stubborn idiot." Ed replied. "We said on the way here that the decision would be mine, and I have made it."

"Well, I disagree with your decision."

"Only because you still think you made a mistake, Al." Edward said calmly.

"And I did!"

"No." Ed shook her head. "I don't think you did. I think you did brilliantly but the Gate had different balances in mind."

"I can redo my array and we can make the adjustments for that."

Ed slammed the book on the table.

"Al! Stop it! You're not listening and you're just saying the same things over and over." She walked closer to him. "You are so damned stubborn, Alphonse Elric. There is nothing to fix and that's the last time I am going to say that."

"Ha! I'm stubborn? You're just as stubborn as I am." He said as he looked at her. He stood there, holding himself still and stared at her for a moment. "If I redrew the array, you wouldn't stand on it, would you." He stated rather than asked.

"No."

"If I went off searching, you wouldn't come with me, would you."

"Nope."

Al sighed. "I know I see you as my sister, but I still see you as my older brother too. It's like the two of you occupy the same space. I just want it to be like it was."

"It's never going to be like it was Al, you know that."

They stood quietly for a while. Ed was hoping that Al had begun to accept it because she really didn't want to hurt Al by refusing to be with him. But she knew she had to be firm with him otherwise she would lose him again. Al was struggling with his pride that was still telling him he could fix his mistake but his logical side was weighing up what Ed had said earlier. And he really did not want to do this without her by his side.

Al thrust his fingers into his hair and growled. Ed looked at him, her eyebrow raised.

"It's not supposed to be this complicated!" He complained. "We're just supposed to go and fix it, not to have to consider all this other stuff."

Ed couldn't help it, she laughed at the frustrated look on his face. She bit her lip and tried to stop but it didn't happen and she kept laughing as he turned towards her, unwilling to join in but feeling the answering response tugging at him.

"It's not funny Sis!" He tried to say in a stern voice but he couldn't and he flung his hands out in surrender.

It was accidental, it really was. He didn't mean to hit her but his outflung hand struck the side of her face, the back of his hand catching just under her eye and her head snapped back. They stared at each other and then Al ducked as Ed threw the first punch.

Al sidestepped and thrust his arm across to block Ed's next attack and Ed followed, dropping down to sweep his legs from under him. As he fell back he bent to one side and used his hand to push himself around to stand up quickly. He spun to reach out and grab her wrist as she leapt to close the distance between them. He pulled and she went slack, dropping her resistance, and the sudden weight pulled him off balance. He let himself fall this time and scissored his legs to trap her foot between them.

She lost her balance and slipped. The fight really got started then.

* * *

Roy Mustang was not doing his paperwork. He was looking at an opened file and there was a pen in his hand but he hadn't moved either the pen or the folder for nearly thirty minutes. He didn't notice Hawkeye look through his open door every now and again, slightly concerned at his lack of attention. He didn't hear the disturbance in the office when one of the guard dogs came in with his handler to deliver a personalized thank you to Fuery for his help last month. Breda's terrified whimperings amused everyone.

He was thinking of Edward telling Al about the permanency of the change and was wondering how Al was reacting to it. He did indeed remember how determined Al had been that day in his office and he knew that if Ed did not talk Al into accepting it, then Al was going to turn up in his office and demand to have his resignation torn up. It was hard to know what to do, he thought. He did not intend to put himself between two battling Elrics. He was a lot of things, but not suicidal.

And if Al was determined, what would Ed do? Her reaction to Al's wanting to search further was something he couldn't judge. Those two were so close, they had always been close. It was hard to imagine that Ed would refuse to support Al, but if she thought it would make him think twice, then he could see her refusing to help him. Four years ago, Ed would never have thought like that. But this older Edward was different, she had had experiences that had changed her and Roy could not predict how she would react anymore.

Even though he now understood and knew some of what she had been through, he still felt unbalanced by her. Yesterday had seen her shift from adult to brat to adult again. It was becoming annoying he thought, at just how often he found himself thinking about her.

He wondered if he should go and check up on them.

* * *

Edward and Alphonse Elric looked at the room and took matching deep breaths.

"I think we really need to clean this up, Sister." Al said.

"Definitely." Ed agreed. "The last thing we need is anyone seeing all this." And she half-expected Mustang to waltz in with his smirk and smartass comment. He had always had that knack of appearing when she least wanted him to. She was almost disappointed when he didn't appear.

The room was a shambles. The table had split in two when Edward had landed on it and the chairs were in several pieces around the room. Papers were strewn everywhere and a few books had suffered, which they both grimaced over and quickly repaired. There were marks on the wall from where Ed's automail had scraped it. Several bloodstains marked the floor.

"So, who gets to wear the uniform, Al?" Ed asked as she clapped to repair a chair.

"I think it's a draw, Sis." Al replied as he straightened out another page of notes.

They had found themselves more evenly matched than they had ever been before. Al had lost his advantage of speed because he now had to wait those vital milliseconds for nerves to tell muscles what to do instead of just reacting instantaneously as he had done in the armour. Ed had gained speed because she had only one automail limb now and her new body was not as heavy as it had been. Edward had not been able to spar for the last four years, and Al had not had anyone to spar with. Ed had found that she had to be more careful now because her automail didn't bounce off armour anymore.

Ed could feel her lip swelling and knew she had a bruise under one eye and a cut above the other. There was a bruise around her wrist and she could feel a sore spot across her lower back and another just above her knee. Al didn't look any better. He was going to have a lovely black eye and there was a scrape that disappeared into his hair across his cheek. A bruise was just appearing on his jaw and he was limping slightly.

"How are we going to explain this, Sis?" He asked as he stretched and winced as his stomach muscles complained. "We never used to hurt each other this much before."

Ed laughed. "That's because you never bruised before. And we are out of practice. Teacher would be very upset with us. We used to be much better."

"We'll have to spar while we're at Resembool." Al said

"Winry is going to kill us." Ed groaned.

"And Granny's not going to be happy that we didn't wait until after your check up before sparring." Al pointed out.

Ed rolled her right shoulder and stretched her arm out, manipulating her fingers. "It's ok, there's no damage done."

They worked quickly and got the room cleaned and tidied. The furniture was returned to normal and they dragged the couch back to its original room. Books were stacked on a couple of trolleys that Al had scrounged from the staff. Ed slung her greatcoat around her shoulders as she sorted out which notes to take with her. There was a secured section of the library where State Alchemists could leave their current papers and research. Ed planned on leaving some of their research notes there but not the ones that contained the details for the array and human transmutation.

"Hey Al." Ed said suddenly.

"What, Sis?"

"I was just thinking. We're leaving tomorrow. Do you want to have a little bit of fun first?" She grinned at him and he saw the gleam in her eyes.

"What did you have in mind, Sis?"

* * *

It was early next morning when the desk sergeant looked up at the sound of booted feet entering the foyer.

Two blue-clad soldiers appeared in full uniform. One tall and dark blond, the other shorter and golden blond. Both had silver watch chains at their hips. Both looked slightly worse for wear with assorted bruises on their faces. The shorter female Lieutenant-Colonel looked familiar to the sergeant but he couldn't remember until he looked at the Major and recognized Alphonse Elric. He saluted them both hurriedly and they nodded as they marched past.

* * *

The outer office of Brigadier-General Mustang was enjoying its usual slow start to the day. Coffee had been made and general gossip and duty allocation had been taken care of. It was the usual routine and they relaxed into the start of a fairly ordinary day. The Brigadier-General was safely in his office with the first pile of the never ending files that flowed across his desk.

Booted feet in the hall went unnoticed until the two uniformed Elrics entered the office. Splutters and gasps and general shock greeted them as they marched straight through and into Mustang's office. All of them stood up and hurried to hover in the doorway.

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang looked up and dropped his pen at the sight of both Elrics in full uniform saluting him.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Elric reporting before departing on leave, Sir."

"Major Elric reporting to confirm acceptance of my resignation, Sir."

How both of them were keeping straight faces, Roy did not know. But there was a definite gleam in their eyes. The bruises and marks on their faces told him somewhat of how their discussion yesterday had gone. The fact that they were standing here and just daring him with their stance to start something told him how it had ended. He smirked and leant back in his chair.

"Lieutenant-Colonel, I am sure you will be most prompt in appearing back here in precisely two weeks to take up your duties. I will expect you here, in full uniform, at eight in the morning. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sir." Ed saluted and smirked back at him.

"Major, your resignation is accepted and it is with regret that I do so." He stated formally and watched impassively as Al placed his watch on the desk. Ed bit her lip as she saw Al's hand shake slightly.

Mustang stood up and saluted Al and there was a rustling at the door as the others entered and saluted him as well. Al looked at them all and had to blink. He hadn't thought it would be this hard to leave them. Mustang came around his desk and shook Al's hand and Havoc led the others over. Hawkeye hugged him and Breda slapped him on his back. Fuery seemed upset but smiled and shook his hand after Falman.

Edward stood back slightly and watched. Suggesting they wear their uniforms and do this had been meant just as a way to have a bit of fun, but she was glad now that she had talked him into taking the later train too. He needed to be able to say goodbye and to spend a little bit of time here doing just that.

"We're going to miss him." Mustang said quietly beside her and she smiled as she nodded her agreement. She had two weeks before she would be saying goodbye to him as well.

"I see your discussion yesterday was a …lively one." She heard the unasked question in his voice.

"Actually this happened afterwards, Mustang." She said.

"We're going to the mess hall for a last meal, coming Ed? Chief?" Havoc suddenly asked. She looked at Al and saw him being dragged from the office by Breda. She grinned at his pleas for help and nodded.

"Sure, Havoc. I'll be right there." She watched them leave but as Mustang made to follow she caught his sleeve.

He turned with his eyebrow raised.

"What is it Ed?"

"I want to do something for Al." She looked slightly hesitant.

"Exactly what do you have in mind, Edward?" He asked.

* * *

Al looked around for his sister as they all sat at a table in the mess. He couldn't see her or the Brigadier-General. He figured she was probably having to explain why they were both displaying bruises. Already Havoc and Breda had been pestering him for more details rather than accepting his simple explanation that they had sparred yesterday. His jaw still ached slightly and his eye was respectably swollen and colourful. It was going to take a while for it all to disappear and he didn't think Winry was going to be very impressed with him when he saw her in three days time.

He was enjoying sitting here with them all. When Ed had talked him into wearing his uniform as a way to celebrate his last day and gotten him to agree to catching the later train he had been a bit dubious. But now he was glad he had, because he was going to miss all of these people. All of his friends. He and Winry would visit often because Ed would be here and he knew he would ring them sometimes as well. But that wasn't the same as seeing them every other day. This place had been his home, these people were his family.

A wave of whispers arose as the Brigadier-General and Edward entered the mess. Al looked up and caught the brief frown that crossed her face before it went blank. Mustang just ignored them and focused his attention on his crew and walked calmly through the gossip.

"It will die down eventually, Al." Havoc murmured beside him.

"Will it? It seems to be taking a long time." Al replied.

"Well it probably doesn't help that she's walking in with Mustang and she has all those bruises." Havoc said cheerfully and grinned as Al groaned. "It's ok, Al. I think your black eye is more impressive, really."

As soon as Mustang and Ed settled in at the table, a whole list of 'do you remember when's' started and Ed heard a lot of stories about what her brother had done over the last four years. Al hid his face often as the tales came thick and fast. Ed laughed and felt a deep gladness that Al had found such a haven while she had been away.

As the stories slowed, Ed and Roy exchanged a quick look and a nod, and he banged quietly on the table for their attention.

"Alphonse. We are going to miss you. You have been such a central part of our lives for so long and we know you always will be." Mustang began and Al looked at him with wide eyes. "You have helped us in so many ways during your time of serving the State and we are very grateful for all you have done for us, especially me. Although you are no longer a part of the military, you will always be a part of us."

Edward stood up and walked around the table, pulling a small box out of her trouser pocket. She winked as she saluted him and placed the box on the table in front of him. Al looked at her with suspicion on his face and poked at the box carefully. He grinned as he saw her eyes narrow in annoyance.

"As if I'd do anything like that now, Al." She muttered and everyone grinned at the pair of them. "Just open it, Brother."

Al lifted the lid and lying on a velvet square was his silver watch. He looked at Ed and then at Mustang who nodded at him.

"Yes, Al, I know all watches have to be returned. But I know how much it means to you." It was the rule that all watches be handed in upon the resignation of an Alchemist. As they were used to identify State Alchemists, their use was strictly controlled. It would be too easy for someone to use one to gain funds or materials illegally. Showing the watch was considered proof enough of legitimacy, there were no other checks in place for verification until a claim or invoice was received at Headquarters. For Al to receive his back was a sign of great trust on Mustang's part.

Al lifted it out of the box and flicked it open. His breath caught. There were words engraved on the inside of the lid.

"_Alphonse Elric,  
State Alchemist,  
Major, ret.  
Brother."_

He looked at Edward. He would recognize her handwriting anywhere. The watch fell from his loose fingers and he stood up and hugged her tightly. She could feel him shaking as she wrapped her arms around him. She had to blink a few times as she looked over his shoulder and met Roy's eye.

"Thank you," she mouthed silently. He smiled.

While she held Al, Hawkeye picked up the watch and read the engraving before passing it to Jean. It went around the table. When Al finally let go, he found a group of smiling faces that made him swallow hard.

"I…I want to thank you all… for all you did for me… and sister…" Al blinked hard and Ed placed her left hand on his arm. He smiled at her before he went on. "You knew me when I was… when I was only armour. You helped us so much and when... when I came back... you did all you could to help me again. You never doubted me, you were, are the family I have always wanted." He paused and blinked hard again. "And you're all invited to my wedding." He finished in a mad flustered rush, afraid he was going to cry in front of them all.

Everyone laughed at his last words and stood up as they raised their cups high.

"Alphonse!" They all said together.

* * *

It was another hour before the impromptu party began to breakup and Hawkeye started to eye the clock on the wall. It was highly irregular for the whole office to have been absent from their duties, regardless of how worthy the reason may be.

Edward stood up.

"I know it's getting late and we have a train to catch and you all have paperwork to do" and she smirked at Mustang as she said it. "But there's one more thing I'd like you all to see before we go. If you'll follow me."

Edward left the mess and walked out the side doors to the courtyard. Where once had stood a memorial statue to the Fullmetal Alchemist, now there was another statue. It too had a bronze Fullmetal Alchemist on it but behind him stood the large armoured form of his brother.

There was silence as they moved closer.

"_Dedicated to the memory of Major Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist.  
The Youngest State Alchemist. Hero of the People.  
For his brother, Major Alphonse Elric, ret. State Alchemist._

_The reason why."_

Havoc read the words out and his voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

"You were always my reason why, Al." Edward spoke softly into the silence. "And everyone should know that."

It took a few moments before they heard Al reply.

"You are a sentimental idiot Sister, and I love you."

* * *

There was little room for sentiment a couple of hours later as the whole office officially gave up on working for the day and escorted them to the train station. Gracia and Elysia appeared, complete with apple pie, and Schieska turned up as well to see them off. It was a loud laughing throng that somehow managed to get them to the train with all their luggage. They had managed to obtain enough extra stuff to necessitate them requiring an extra suitcase each.

Hugs and kisses went all round and a few eyes glittered with unshed tears. Al was the centre of most of the attention because they knew that it would be some time before they saw him again. Havoc and Breda managed to get a few bets going as to how Winry was going to react when she saw their faces and how long it would take Al to actually propose now that he had invited them all to a so-far non-existent wedding.

"Alphonse was correct." A deep voice said and Ed looked up to meet Roy's amused eye. "You are a sentimental idiot, Edward."

Ed grinned at him. "Rather that than just an idiot."

Roy laughed slightly. "I have it on good authority that I am a 'fucking' idiot. Which hopefully is better than just an idiot."

Edward laughed. "There's hope for you yet, Mustang." She looked across at Al and saw Elysia tugging at his hair. She missed the slight widening of his eye and her voice dropped slightly as she continued. "And I meant it earlier, Mustang. Thank you for helping me do that for Al. I know it's not the done thing."

"There can always be exceptions although had it been anyone other than Al, I doubt I would have considered it." Roy replied quietly. She nodded in acknowledgement, understanding him perfectly. Al would never abuse the privilege of having a watch now that he was officially discharged.

They stood and watched Al getting hugged by Schieska as she gave him a book to take with him. Elysia kept tugging at him wanting to be lifted up for another hug. Al had become her favourite 'hugger' now mainly because he would keep on hugging her long after the others tired of the game.

The whistle blew and calls for boarding began and the platform burst into a more fevered pace as people began hurrying and hustling to get to their seats. It started another and final round of hugs and goodbyes for Al. Ed moved to be closer and to say her temporary good-byes, knowing she would see them all in two weeks.

More boarding calls came as Al hugged everyone he could, even Fuery to the amusement of his comrades. Al began inching toward the train steps and the group went with him, Elysia clinging to his hand and trying to tug him back.

The final call came and Al finally managed to get Elysia to let go as he got to the steps. Ed laughed and then tripped as she missed the step. A strong hand caught her left arm and hauled her upright and she felt the warmth of someone's chest at her back.

"Careful, Edward." Roy's voice said near her ear and she unexpectedly shivered.

"Always, Mustang." She said automatically and then felt his hand square in the centre of her back as he pushed her up the steps. She frowned slightly and caught the puzzled look in his eye and then cleared her face when she saw Al looking at her. She smiled at him and then turned to wave at everyone.

The train's whistle resounded through the station, echoing loudly and cutting across the last shouted 'good-bye's' and 'take care's'.

As the train began to move, they stayed in the doorway and saluted their friends before closing it.

Mustang and the others watched until the train disappeared.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you again to everyone for the wonderful reviews and responses you gave me for the last chapter. I can never thank you enough and knowing you are there waiting for this makes me keep on writing….lol… I'm running out of ways to say thank you to you all... It's just completely awesome...

I love writing this and I'm very happy that you enjoy it too…

silken :)


	15. Proposals

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Proposals  
**

Edward Elric stretched as she stepped out onto the porch into the early morning sunlight. She rolled her shoulders and smiled as she felt no twinges from the bruise on her back.

"You're looking better, Edward." Pinako said from her corner of the porch. "They've almost disappeared."

"Good morning Granny." Ed said with a smile. They had been back three days and the bruises were nearly all gone. Al's eye was still the worst looking but it was now finally fading.

Winry's reaction to their faces had been impressive, Ed thought with a reminiscent grin as she leant against the railing. They had probably heard her scream in Central and Ed had learnt some new curses that she hadn't thought Winry would even understand. Breda had won that one, she thought as Winry had actually thrown a wrench at Al before hustling him off to the first aid box, leaving Ed to the tender mercies of Pinako. Who had looked at her with stern eyes.

"I hope you had a good reason for it, Edward."

"We did, Granny." Ed had replied, her eyes flickering slightly.

Pinako had nodded. "Good." And had taken Ed into the kitchen where she had made coffee for them both.

Winry had been more herself when she had returned with a patched up Al, despite his protests that he really didn't need anything now as it was all healing nicely.

They had spent most of the first day talking about things that had occurred in Central. Winry had nearly strangled Ed with her hug when Al showed her his watch and told her about the statue. She laughed at the dog tags Ed had received and had insisted that Ed wear them. She happily accepted the invitation to Elysia's next birthday party that the small girl had insisted on sending to her now.

Later that afternoon they had looked at Ed's arm and found it to be in good condition. Winry had made some small adjustments and Ed had gritted her teeth for half an hour as she had tweaked and pulled at the nerves, testing all the connections. It had taken Ed another half an hour to recover from the twitches and spasms.

Ed had managed to keep the conversation light when they had told Granny and Winry that her change of gender was permanent. It had not been easy to say. Winry had held Ed tight and whispered how sorry she was.

"_There's nothing to be sorry for, Winry." Ed had replied. "Besides, imagine how difficult it would be to explain to everyone if I did change back again." Ed laughed lightly. "Everyone already accepts me as female, even you Winry." _

_Al had agreed with Ed and they had smiled at Winry, but Pinako had seen the slight shadow in Al's eyes and hadn't missed the small headshake that had passed between them. _

The subject had not been raised since. Ed and Al had brought back a new wrench set for her and she had been delighted with it. It had distracted her from asking more questions. Ed had grinned at Al. She knew that Al had managed to find a pair of the silk pyjamas in a deep shade of blue but was too nervous to give them to Winry yet.

Ed sighed as she looked out across the valley. She had thought returning here would be a nice space of quiet and peace after the last couple of months and all the ups and downs of Central. But it wasn't. She was finding herself feeling restless and she didn't know why. She could see Al settling in here so easily and she almost envied him.

This place had been where she had grown up, it had been home even when she had refused to acknowledge it. But it didn't seem like home anymore. When Al had brought her back, she had found this to be a haven for her initial adjustment to being back, to being female. It had been hard to leave but now it was hard to stay. What had once been a vague feeling now became a certainty to her. She would never be able to settle here. It was not for her anymore. She had seen too much, been to too many places to be content to stay here. To visit, yes. To find a place of respite and family, yes. But not to live.

"Deep thoughts, Ed?" Pinako's voice broke through her musings.

"Deep enough I guess," Ed replied whimsically.

"Were you going to share them sometime?" Pinako asked with real curiousity.

Ed laughed softly. "Only with you, Granny." The golden eyes stayed staring across to the morning mist that lingered in ribbons along the valley side. "I knew before we left here last time that I would not come back to stay, but now I _know_ it." She took a slow breath. "I love this place, but it's not for me anymore."

Pinako looked at Edward. There was a passing regret on her face as if she was seeing something that could have been but now would never be. There was an acceptance in her stance, a relaxing of some of the tension Pinako had noticed since they had arrived. Pinako had seen the changes four years away had brought but now there seemed to be something else. Central had changed Edward again.

"Al will be happy here. I am going to miss him when I leave. We've never voluntarily parted like this before. Last time we didn't have a choice. But next week I'm going to leave and although I know he's only a few days away, only a phone call away, it feels like I'll never see him again."

Pinako smiled. "That's natural, Ed. You and Al have been inseparable since he was born. You know each other better than you know yourselves. And Al will miss you too, you know that."

"I know, but he has Winry now and he's always been one to make friends easily, to find his way through everything. He will settle here like he never left. I'm just going to miss him."

"It's not going to be as easy for him as you think, Ed. He's going to doubt his choices, he'll wonder and worry about you. He's done much traveling over the last few years so he won't find it easy to stay in one place at first. It will take him time to adjust and settle."

Ed laughed suddenly and turned her head to grin at Pinako. "Well he's only a got a week left to propose in."

Pinako's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. "What did you just say, Edward?" She asked.

"He's got a week to propose to Winry in." Ed laughed again.

"You'd better explain yourself, Edward." Pinako said in a firm voice.

"Al was giving a small speech after he got his watch back and he was really flustered and he ended up inviting everyone there to his wedding." Ed grinned as she remembered the almost comical look of shock that had crossed Al's face afterwards as he had realised what he had said. "Then the guys started betting on how long it would take for him to propose and when the wedding would be and even what he would say."

"Oh good lord." Pinako said and rocked back on her heels. "That poor boy has found himself a world of trouble without even trying."

"Why would you say that, Granny?" Ed asked curiously. "I thought that's how it was going to go."

"Ed, Winry isn't going to want a proposal because of some bets amongst his friends. She's going to want something real and heartfelt."

Ed frowned. "But Al loves her, Granny. And he couldn't be insincere if he tried. And he's stubborn. He won't propose because of them, he'll do it because he wants to."

"And if Winry knows about the bets she'll doubt him."

"That's ridiculous, Granny. How could anyone doubt Al?" Ed straightened up and turned to face Pinako. "Al's the most honest person I know."

"Ed, we're talking about love here. There is no logic to it. Trust and honesty are so important in a relationship and they can be very fragile. Especially at the beginning." Pinako half smiled. "Remember Winry's reaction when you first returned? She didn't recognize you because she was jealous. Love can skew your mind as well as your vision, Ed."

Edward blinked. She had never thought about that before. She had assumed that Al would come back here, propose to Winry and live happily ever after. She would visit occasionally and they would visit her and eventually there'd be little nieces and nephews for her to tease Al about. She hadn't thought it could be difficult, that there could be any problems.

"Maybe I should stay here." She said, her eyes wide.

"No, Edward." Pinako spoke firmly. "You can't help Al with this. It's something he has to do on his own."

"But he's my brother!"

"I know, and that means you stay right out of it." Pinako smiled as Edward almost pouted at her. "I know it's hard but you can do it. You'll be in Central so you won't be able to interfere anyway."

"It doesn't seem fair, Granny. What if Al needs me?"

"Edward. How much help are you going to be?" Pinako looked at her. "You haven't been in a relationship, have you?"

"No, but…" Edward began.

"But nothing, Edward." Pinako said firmly. "Al has to work this one out and if they're both smart, they'll work it out together."

Ed fell silent and turned to stare back over the valley, a faint frown on her face. Pinako watched her and wondered what she was thinking about. It was not going to be easy for Edward to say goodbye to Al, Pinako knew that. And they all knew that Edward would never settle here but they would always stay in touch and they would always be closer than most siblings. Al and Winry would work things out and Ed staying here would be of no help. It was hard, she thought, when you had to let go of the ones you love.

* * *

Pinako watched Ed over the next few days. There was something bothering her and Pinako could see it in her eyes as she watched Al and Winry together. At first she thought it was just Edward feeling like she was losing Al but Ed seemed genuinely happy at their happiness and increasing closeness.

Ed had confided in Pinako about the pyjamas Al had bought and had wanted to know when would be a good time for him to give them to her, Al having been too embarrassed to ask. They had decided her birthday would be the ideal occasion and Ed had carried that answer back to Al who had sighed in relief and then blushed for the rest of the day whenever Granny smiled at him.

Ed and Al sparred every day and recovered some of their old skill and Edward relished every moment of their time together, storing it all up for when she left. They took long walks across the valley and down to the river, spending hours without speaking. Once they came back laughing and both had flowered wreaths on their heads.

Al had given his to Winry with a shy smile and had placed it in her hands and she had surprised everyone with her blush. They had stared at each other for the longest moment and Ed had watched with a strange expression in her eyes.

* * *

One morning Edward disappeared and went walking by himself. He traipsed slowly around the valley and finally ended up at the cemetery standing in front of his mother's grave. He sat down next to it and ran his fingers across the cool marble.

Idly he clapped and placed his hands on the ground and the crackle of alchemy made him blink before he looked at the ring of flowers now lying there. He picked it up and held it in his hands.

It reminded him of the wreaths he and Al had made the other day, it reminded him of the flowered wreaths they had created for Elysia and Nina and it reminded him of the wreath Mustang had removed from his hair that night.

It was annoying he thought, at just how often he was thinking of Roy Mustang. He would start to think of all of them in Central and the list would start with Mustang and then at the end, he would think of Mustang again. He didn't understand why Mustang's voice had made him shiver, it never had before. And why do I still feel his hand at my back, Ed thought.

He had enough problems without having Mustang invading his mind all the damned time, he thought. He sighed and placed the flowers on the slab.

"Mamma, what am I?" he whispered.

Pinako's remark that he had never been in a relationship had started Edward thinking and now he had found himself in the middle of a dilemma and no way out that he could see.

It was true, he had never been in the sort of relationship that his brother now had. He'd never even considered the possibility of one. As they had grown up, he had been more concerned with getting his brother's body restored. And after he had gone through the Gate he had been wanting to return more than anything else. Even when he had finally accepted that he wasn't going to be able to return, he hadn't thought of settling down with or without anyone.

He had shared rooms with Alfons and Noa and he had been oblivious to the start of their relationship. He had even introduced them and had considered them his best friends. It hadn't dawned on him that they felt differently about each other until he had walked in on them kissing in the kitchen one day. He had been rather embarrassed at first but it hadn't taken him long to feel happy for them and to offer his support. They were his friends, that's all he cared about and if they were happy, then so was he.

Thinking back now, he realised that he hadn't felt tempted in any way, shape or form to go out and start looking for anything similar for himself. It wasn't that he had deliberately closed himself off to the possibility, it was that he didn't even think of it at all. He supposed that if he had met someone then maybe something might have happened, but he had never even come close. As he sat there he wondered why. Why had he never felt any interest in anyone?

He hadn't had any problems making friends, although close friends were few and far between, and he treasured them all the more because of it. The guys in Central who had watched him grow up, who had helped and teased and generally made his life hell and heaven all at once were the closest friends he could have ever wanted. Even Mustang could be included there he thought, and then frowned at thinking about him again. Mustang wasn't that close, really. Although he had been helpful lately and they had been able to talk and Mustang did seem to understand him. So maybe, yes, he could say Mustang was a friend.

He realised that all his relationships were friendships. He had never considered anything further or deeper with anyone. And that was probably just as well, he thought, because now, he was female and he was always going to be female. If he had no idea how relationships worked as a male, he had even less as a female.

And it probably didn't help that he still thought of himself as male. He didn't know how being female was supposed to feel. Was it very different to what he felt now or not? And if it was different, just how different was it? Ed understood exactly what Al had meant when he said that Ed was both brother and sister occupying the same space. It was what he felt like all the time. Male inside female. But what defined the sex, he wondered. What makes me one or the other, he questioned.

"How will I know?" He asked his mother softly.

* * *

Al and Winry went for a walk that afternoon. Edward had returned with a slight shadow on her face but had smiled happily and waved at them as they had left.

"I think Ed's just going to miss you, Al. That's all," Winry said as they climbed the hill.

"I know. I wish she didn't have to leave." Al said rebelliously and Winry laughed.

"You know Ed. She wouldn't stay." And Winry's face became as uncertain as her voice as she asked. "You don't feel like I am making you stay here, do you?"

"Of course not, Winry. I always want to stay with you. It's just…" And Al paused unable to define just what being with Edward had always meant to him.

"I understand." Winry said and there was relief in her eyes. She knew exactly how close they were and knew it was hard on them both, but she had been afraid that Al would resent her and feel that she was holding him here.

They walked in a comfortable silence for awhile. Their footsteps led them down near the river and Al began to fidget, shooting quick glances at her. He bit at his lip and his hands twitched nervously. He slid his damp palms down the sides of his trousers and took deep breaths. Winry watched him out of the corner of her eye, at first completely puzzled by his nervous behaviour, but then she was struck by a thought and her eyes lit up and she had to stop her own hands from shaking by pushing them into the pockets of her overalls.

They stood and looked at the river for a while and Al became more twitchy, his hands continually sliding on his legs. Winry felt his nerves infect her and she had to struggle to remain calm and seemingly unaware. She didn't want to ruin this moment.

"Winry." Al said and his voice squeaked and he fisted his hands tight at his sides.

"Yes Al?" She replied and her voice cracked despite her best efforts.

"I was going to ask you to marry me," he began, his voice uneven. "But I can't."

Winry turned to face him, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "What?" was all she could manage as her brain shut down and all she could see were his eyes with a sincere, yet sad and determined look.

"I said I can't. Not yet. It wouldn't be fair and right." Al kept his eyes on hers and saw confusion and hurt on her face.

"Why?" She had to swallow twice before she could speak.

"Because of the bets." Al said as if that explained everything. He discovered it didn't.

"What do bets have to do with you proposing?" Winry asked in a frozen voice.

"Well I heard Ed and Granny talking the other morning and Granny said that you wouldn't want me to propose if you knew about the bets." Al wrung his hands, feeling this had all gone very badly.

"Alphonse." Winry took a deep breath and looked at him. He was pale and shaking and he looked so upset. She took another deep breath and regained a little of her senses. "Let's start at the beginning. What bets are you talking about?"

"Well, I got flustered during my farewell speech …and … and I invited everyone to the wedding." He rushed out and then he took a deep breath and began to pace in a circle. "Then when we were leaving they started laying bets on everything from how I would propose to when I would do it." He stopped pacing and looked at her. "I can't propose if you think I'm doing it for a bet, Winry. Granny said you wouldn't want a proposal like that."

"What did Edward say?" Winry asked, forcing herself to remain calm.

"She said that I loved you and would propose because I wanted to, but Granny said you could have doubts." Al looked at her and his voice rang with conviction. "I love you, Winry and I want to marry you. But I don't want you to doubt me."

Winry bit her lips hard and her hands fisted tight as the anger flooded through her. It was irrational, she knew but she was suddenly furious at her grandmother for making Al doubt the one moment when it should have been nothing but perfect for them both. She was very upset about the betting. Al had made her laugh with the stories of the bets they had had running over the last couple of months. But she hadn't expected the bets to take on an aura of evil like this and to effect her personally. How dare those friends of his make her Al feel pressured into this, even though she knew Ed was right. Al would never do anything he didn't want to.

Al was watching her nervously as he saw her eyes flashing and he did the bravest thing she had ever known him to do. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It was remarkable she thought, what his touch could do to her. It relaxed her and she leant against him and brought her arms up to wrap around his waist. Al always felt comfortable and as he continued to simply hold her, her head settled into his shoulder as if it belonged there.

"Al, what exactly were the bets?" She asked as she felt the anger subsiding slowly under the continuing warmth of his touch.

Al looked down at her cautiously before he spoke. He could feel the tensions in her disappearing and he kept his voice even. "That I would get down on one knee, that I would not be able to do it, that I would have flowers, that there were no flowers, that we would get married in six months or six weeks, that you wouldn't accept." He said the last one nervously and felt her fingers tighten around his waist in response.

"Ed said that you would never do that." Al said hurriedly, trying to appease her before she got angry again. "And Hawkeye agreed with her. Ummm, Fuery said you would propose to me and Havoc said that would be the day Ed had a date. Breda said that Havoc would propose to Hawkeye before we got married and Fuery said he didn't think we would wait that long." He paused and Winry lifted her hand and placed her fingers on his lips to stop him from continuing.

"I get the idea, Al. There were a lot of bets." She paused and then she looked up at him. "And I guess Granny is a bit right. I would hate knowing you had proposed because you felt you had to, whether it was because of the bets or anything else." She smiled and her eyes brightened. "I have the perfect solution, Al."

Al's eyes narrowed at the wicked smile that crossed her face and he watched as she took a step back. "What are you doing, Winry?"

"Alphonse Elric. Will you marry me?" She smiled at him and the wicked gleam fell away and he could see the nervousness she was trying to hide. He blinked at her before he smiled and he got down on one knee and replied.

"Only if you'll marry me." He smiled again. She laughed at him and threw herself into his arms and they fell to the ground. Al kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her again and held her tight. He could feel her pressed against him and he never wanted to let her go. She belonged against him like this for the rest of his life he decided and he deepened the kiss as she melted against him.

* * *

Al levered himself up on his elbow and looked at her smiling face. Her lips were swollen and her hair was mussed from his fingers. Winry ran a finger along the side of his jaw and he shivered slightly and she smiled at his reaction.

"I guess we should go back and tell them." Al said, reluctant to move just yet.

"I guess." Winry agreed, her voice as reluctant as his.

It was another ten minutes before they decided that the ground was getting a bit hard and perhaps they should return to the house. They brushed themselves down and Winry linked her arm in his as they began to walk back, leaning against him as if she was afraid he would suddenly disappear.

* * *

It took Ed less than five seconds to guess what had happened when she first saw them and she rushed down the steps to hug them both, her eyes bright and her smile wide.

The four of them had an impromptu celebration that evening and Al and Winry were toasted endlessly by Ed and Granny. Al watched anxiously at one point when Winry took her grandmother aside but he didn't hear what transpired and Ed distracted him as she enquired about their wedding plans.

It took them very little time to set the date for eight months away when Edward's year of service would be up and they could all be together again.

Pinako came into the room with a small box in her hand and walked over to where Al and Winry were sitting on the couch, holding hands. Edward followed her over and sat on the chair arm closest to Al. Pinako smiled at them and held the box out as she opened the lid. The box was divided in two by a small velvet wall and light glittered on the rings on both sides. They looked at them with wide eyes.

"These are the rings your mother wore, Winry." Pinako said as she pointed to one side of the box. Her eyes were bright and it was hard to keep her voice even. "After… after she died, these were sent back to me. I know it would make her happy for you to have them. Whether you wear them or keep them to pass down is up to you, but they belong to you now." She picked up the single ring from the other side of the box and she placed it in Al's open hand.

"Ed, Al, this was your mother's." She paused as their eyes went wide. "I found it in the same closet where you kept the money for your first automail surgery. I think it is time for you to claim this now as well."

Gold and grey eyes stared at the simple gold ring. They remembered it well. It had sat on a small crystal tray on their mother's dresser. They had never seen her wear it and there had always been fresh flowers near it.

Al looked up and caught Winry's eye and she held up her mother's rings. One was a simple gold band too, but the other had a small sapphire held up by smaller diamonds on either side of it. It had a simple elegance to it.

Al had not thought of a ring for Winry and now suddenly he was overwhelmed for choice. He could see her eyes glimmer as she looked at the rings and he made his mind up.

"Winry, I think you should wear your mother's ring." They all looked at him as he gave the ring in his hand to Ed and Winry's eyes widened. "I think she would be happy if you did." He slipped off the chair and knelt before her, taking her hands in his. "I never thought to get you a ring because I hadn't planned this at all and I would've done it eventually, but I think this is better. Please Winry, wear them. For you, for us… for her."

There was silence as they looked at each other before she nodded and he carefully took the rings from her hand and slid the sapphire ring onto her ring finger. Winry stopped him before he followed it with the plain band and she held the box out for him.

"This one can wait until the wedding." She said and he smiled at her as he put the ring in the box. "But what about your mother's ring, Al?" She asked.

"Ed should have it." Al said and looked at his sister. "It should be yours, Sis."

Edward looked down at the ring in her hand and then over at her brother and his fiancée. Her golden eyes were suspiciously bright and she blinked a couple of times.

"And you called me a sentimental idiot, Brother. It's just as well that I love you."

* * *

There was consternation when they heard the news in Central. Mainly among those who had lost their bets.

Winry had made Al call Hawkeye the next morning and together they had told her the news. Winry had spoken to Hawkeye about all the bets and had made sure Hawkeye had all the relevant information before she hung up and shared a grin with Al at the thought of what was about to befall the unfortunate denizens of that office.

Fuery was most impressed with Havoc's reaction when he reminded him of what he had said in reply to the idea of Winry doing the proposing. That Ed would get a date.

"It doesn't count, Kain!" Havoc went pale and protested. "Ed didn't agree to it."

"Ed didn't hear it, Havoc." Breda said from the sidelines.

"It wasn't a proper bet!" Havoc said forcefully.

"Yes, it was." Falman interjected. "We all agreed to it."

"But it's impossible, there's no way it can be done!" Havoc protested with a bit of desperation in his voice.

"You'll have to organize it, Havoc." Falman said sedately.

"Ed'll kill me. It's just not possible." He paused. "Unless one of you guys do it!"

Heads shook all around and Havoc glowered at them.

"You're all spineless!" He accused.

"Why would you say that, Havoc?" Brigadier-General Mustang entered his office and overheard Havoc's remark.

"Because they're afraid to go on a date!" He said firmly staring at them all.

"We're not afraid of going on a date, Havoc." Breda shook his head. "It's who you're planning to set us up with."

Mustang heard what Breda said and his eyebrow rose. This was certainly different. He leant against his door and listened.

"It wouldn't be a proper date, just dinner, or lunch. That would cover the terms, wouldn't it?" Havoc turned to Falman who considered it carefully.

"Lunch would be acceptable but it would have to be a _very good_ lunch." He stated. "And you'd need to bring flowers." He added. They all watched Havoc struggle to contain himself at that comment and Falman grinned.

"C'mon Kain, Heymans, help me out here. It's not like I'm asking to borrow money." Havoc said desperately.

They both smiled at him and shook their heads. His blue eyes narrowed and he stared back at them.

"Are you sure you guys are straight?" He muttered in his frustration. "For God's sake, why not?"

"Because no-one in their right mind asks Edward Elric for a date, Jean, that's why."

Roy Mustang blinked and his face went absolutely blank. There was suddenly an empty hole right through the middle of him and he heard the words re-echo through his ears. He stared at them in complete confusion and shock.

"What the hell…?" His voice was filled with disbelief as he spoke and Falman calmly informed him of Al and Winry's upcoming wedding and the fallout from all the bets. Mustang could not stop the laugh that bubbled up inside him. It filled the emptiness and he laughed as they hadn't heard him laugh in a long time. Havoc's face was priceless and the stray wish for a camera slipped through his mind.

"What on earth possessed you to make such a bet, Havoc?" Mustang queried when he gained a little self-control. He took a deep breath, and felt good. Come to think of it, he hadn't felt this good since he had managed to get Ed in the face with that snowball.

"I don't know," Havoc said as he thrust his hands through his hair. "It just seemed as impossible as Winry doing the proposing. What did she go and do that for?" He groused.

"Well, I can see this is not going to be your day, Havoc." Mustang smirked and began to head into his office.

"Hey Chief, you don't think you could….?" Havoc started to say and then stopped. Mustang turned around and stared at Havoc as if he had grown an extra head. Even Falman was staring in complete disbelief.

"Are you _insane_, Jean?" Fuery asked in a shocked voice. "They'd never make it to the front door before they'd be at each other's throats."

Mustang shook his head and entered his office and he sat at his desk. He stared at the far wall, not hearing the continuing argument in the outer office. Had Havoc been serious? Ask Edward Elric to dinner?

He had found himself thinking of Edward more than normal this past week. He still remembered how it had felt when he had pulled her up against his chest at the station. It had reminded him of how it had felt at the practical when she had been in his lap. The warmth that had imprinted itself on him as she had sat there. He was rather surprised that he could recall exactly how it had felt. And that shiver she had given, it had made him shiver too and he had been rather puzzled by it. He couldn't remember the last time he had reacted like that and he had spent a large part of that night trying to remember.

Dinner with Edward? Fuery was right, they'd never last a couple of hours in each other's company without some argument breaking out. Although, they had gone nearly fifteen minutes at breakfast that morning before their discussion had started to get heated. And they had managed several conversations over the last couple of months. Surely they would total nearly a whole hour if you took out all the arguments and teasing? So it wasn't as impossible as Kain seemed to imply, it was just improbable. Highly improbable.

Dinner. Why didn't the thought of leaving his comfort zone and going out to dinner fill him with unease and dread? Was it because it would _be_ with Edward Elric?

Mustang grinned suddenly as he tried to imagine Ed's face as she was asked out to dinner. Good God, she wouldn't have a clue, he thought, and then he stopped. She wouldn't, would she? He would bet she had never been on a date or even gone to dinner before in either her or _his_ life at all.

* * *

"This gives you eight months to propose to Hawkeye, you know."" Breda said suddenly and Havoc whirled on him.

"I don't need a time frame to propose to Riza in!" He said heatedly. "I'll propose when the time is right."

"I'll give you eight months to find the right time, Jean." Breda grinned at him.

"I'm not going to propose to win a bet!" He snapped back. "But I am sorely tempted to hold off to make you lose one, Heymans." He threatened.

"I am pleased to know you do draw the line somewhere, Captain." Said a voice that sounded anything but pleased and Jean went white. Breda stood up and began to splutter.

"It's my fault, Hawkeye, honest, I was just egging him on, you know the way we always do and I guess I shouldn't have…" Her upraised hand stopped his babbling.

Havoc turned around and met the cold eyes of Riza Hawkeye. Her face was as pale as his.

"There were some things I had assumed were above these games, Captain. I see that I was incorrect."

"Riza, I didn't mean it. I wouldn't make any bet that involved you and me like that, babe." Jean looked at her and tried to keep his voice even as her eyes stayed cold.

"But you would avoid commitment to _us_ because of one?" She asked in a casual manner that chilled him.

"No, Riza, I was only threatening him, I didn't mean it, babe. Honest." And his eyes and voice pleaded with her to believe him.

Captain Hawkeye placed the files she had gone to collect on her desk and turned and left the office, leaving Jean Havoc standing there, completely devastated.

* * *

Ed had two days left when they stood in the ruins of their old house and looked at the niche they had sat in the first night of Ed's return.

"It seems a lifetime ago, Al." Ed said slowly.

"I don't regret anything, Sister. I just wish…"

"I know Al, but we've had that conversation already. Twice." She smiled at him and her eyes were clear as she recalled the conversation a couple of days ago when they had essentially gone over everything again.

Al grimaced slightly. "It still lingers though, Sis. The 'if only I could'. 'If only I had.'"

"That'll be there for a while yet, Al." Ed nodded, remembering that feeling. "But I have no regrets, Brother."

"Going forward?" Al asked with a smile.

"Yes, going forward." Ed laughed.

"You should have put that on the statue, Sis." Al remarked.

"I nearly did, but Mustang said I had to keep to the original inscription." Ed wrinkled her nose remembering Mustang's smirk at the time. Damn it, she was thinking about him again, she grumbled to herself.

"I'll try to get leave to come visit for Winry's birthday. That's only a few months away." She added as she turned away from the ruins and looked across the valley.

"And we'll come visit. Winry said something about looking for a dress for the wedding." Al said and his voice was slightly puzzled.

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking of a wedding dress?" Ed asked curiously.

"Apparently not." Al replied and then hesitated. Ed caught the pause and looked at her brother. Her eyebrow rose as she saw the signs of nervousness.

"What is it, Al?" She asked. She knew him. He had something to say and he thought she wasn't going to like it.

"It's about the wedding, Sis." Al began and Ed nodded. "I can't have you as my Best Man now, so you'll have to be Chief Bridesmaid instead." He said in a great rush.

Ed's jaw dropped and she stared at her brother in complete shock. "What?" He was right, she didn't like it. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Her brother would get married and she'd be there. She hadn't thought about what she would be doing there. And it appeared her gender was the determining factor. She was still trying to figure out what being female was supposed to mean and feel, and now it was going to be a factor in what she could or couldn't do? This hardly seemed fair. Her sex hadn't made any difference to anything in the past. She bit down hard on her initial outburst. If Al ever realised how confused she was right now, he'd drop everything and go dragging out his array and research again. She was not going to let that happen.

"A bridesmaid? Me?" Ed spluttered. "You have got to be joking, Al!"

Al shook his head. "I can't get married without you there."

"I wasn't going to let you get married without me!" Ed retorted. "I'd be there, whether they gave me leave or not, you know that. But why a bridesmaid and not just very close and only family?"

"I want... no, Winry and I want you to be a part of the whole thing, Sister. Not just as family. I want you to be there, to be involved." Al declared. "It won't be a big wedding, and we don't want anything too fancy either. But I do want you to be with me in this, Edward."

Ed looked at her brother and the sincerity and purpose in his eyes and sighed. She had never been able to say no to him. Not on things that mattered, not when he had that damned look on his face.

"I'll be there for you, Al." Ed said, trying to appear reluctant, but from Al's grin she knew he could see right through her. "Although I would've thought Winry would've invited Schieska or even Hawkeye."

"I think she wants you all to be bridesmaids." Al said.

"Tell me you're joking this time, Al! I thought you said it was going to be a small wedding." Ed protested.

"It will be, Sis." Al assured her and Ed rolled her eyes in a silent yet expressive reply.

They turned and began to walk back home. It was a comfortable silence despite Ed's thoughts slipping back into the realisation that she only had two more days before she had to leave. The closer it got, the harder it was getting to say goodbye.

The house was in sight when Al stopped and turned to look at her.

"Edward."

"Hmm?"

"It's not goodbye, Sis. It's just 'see you later.'" He said and she saw the understanding in his eyes. He knew her so well.

"I know, Al. It just feels like goodbye. I didn't mean to leave last time and I never got to say goodbye then. This just feels so final for some reason." Ed said slowly as she tried to find the words.

"I think you're scared." Al said hesitantly.

"I'm not scared!" She snapped back automatically and then met his eyes and saw the fear in them. She took a deep breath. "Maybe we're both scared, Brother." And they shared a long look where there were no words as they acknowledged that they were both scared of being without the other.

"And if you tell anyone I said that…" Ed said after awhile.

He grinned at her as he nodded. "I know, I know. You'll kill me. Again."

They laughed and felt some of their tension slip.

"Hey Al? Who will you have as Best Man then?" Ed asked as they turned to start walking again.

"I thought I'd ask the Brigadier-General." Al replied. "Do you think you could ask him for me when you get back?"

Ed groaned. She was never going to get that damned man out of her thoughts now.

* * *

Kain Fuery was a naturally quiet person. He didn't like loud noises but he found the oppressive silence in the office to be worse. It was worse than when the Brigadier-General and Edward had been at odds. Captain Hawkeye said little and her stern face had become sterner. Havoc had become thinner and his eyes had lost their light. Jean would sit and keep his eyes down because they all knew if he looked up, he would watch her every movement with an unblinking stare. Breda had timed him at nearly four minutes between blinks and felt his own eyes burn at that thought. Hawkeye spent a lot of time at the range. But even with her out of the office it was very hard to ignore the solid lump of misery that simply oozed sorrow and heartbreak all through the office.

Fuery avoided the office as much as he could. He discovered no-one had inspected the junction boxes in the last two years, so he undertook to do just that. He found all the relevant schematics and drawings and began to work his way through them. Breda came with him. Mainly because Havoc blamed him for everything that had happened.

Havoc barely spoke to him. Falman commiserated with him but he could do little to help, Havoc turned him away when he had tried. The word 'bet' had become more of a taboo than 'dogs' was with Breda.

"What am I going to do, Kain?" Breda asked despairingly as he held the conduit and watch idly as Fuery pulled the cables out.

"I don't know, Breda. Jean's miserable and I heard that Hawkeye moved in with Mrs Hughes."

"We've been friends for years. They both know nothing was meant by it." Breda said rebelliously. "We've played these games forever. Why did this one go wrong?"

"Maybe because Jean is slow on asking the important questions." Fuery replied thoughtfully. "I mean it took him a long time to ask her out and then nearly six months after that before they made it official and moved in together. Getting his nerve up to propose, who knows how long that would take him."

Breda sighed. "It just seems like something so small got blown right out of proportion."

"Whoever said people were logical?" Fuery asked whimsically as he carefully straightened a capacitor on the board. "It would be much easier if they were."

Breda nodded in agreement. "Remind me never to get involved with anyone. It completely messes with your head."

* * *

Edward Elric sat back in the seat and wiped her eyes with her coat sleeves. The train picked up speed and she twisted herself to curl up on the corner of the seat and stare out the window.

It had been so hard to say goodbye to them all. Especially Al. They had both had a hard time letting go of the other. They only let go because the train started moving and Ed had hung out the window for as long as she could. For the first time in her life she had actually looked back at what was behind her and had felt the pang of leaving something precious behind.

She remembered questioning her forward-only attitude after Mustang had vented so violently that day. His problems have been because all he sees is the past, she thought. I don't think I ignored what was behind me so much as just accepting it being there. Perhaps I need to balance the two, Ed frowned. After all even with Al behind me, I know he supports me, I know he's there. It's not like I've just left him there. Maybe Mustang needs to learn to do that too.

Ed fell back to lie on the bench seat, clutching her hair and growling, much to the amusement of the small child passing. Why wouldn't that damned man get out of her head?

* * *

It was a long three days. Edward Elric had never spent that long alone in her own company before. She hadn't realised how much better it was to have someone with you and it had made her miss Al all over again. It had also given her more than enough time to think and that had not been good. Ed was feeling more confused than ever.

This whole female thing was starting to take over a large part of her thoughts. Knowing that the change was permanent had certainly made her unable to ignore it like she had been doing. Not being able to categorise it or to have a nice solid logical foundation to start with had unsettled her. She had no books to consult, she knew of no-one else who had had this happen to them. Edward had always relied on knowledge and logic in her research, but there was none of that for her now.

It was all about feelings and emotions and perceptions and Edward knew she was not equipped to handle those. Although she wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

During her time in Central, her gender had been questioned once and by someone who hadn't even known she had once been male. The public attention had been difficult and it had seemed to her that everyone had been more concerned with her return than her gender change. Even that morning in the skirt, Ed had known they were looking at the sight of a female Fullmetal Alchemist, but not realizing that meant a female Edward Elric as well.

She already felt she was two people in the same body. The problem was, people saw the outside, they saw the female and reacted to it. And Ed had no idea how she was supposed to behave.

It had happened a few times during the trip. She had had no problem with the small boy who had thought it great fun to pull at her hair from the seat behind. A deliberate show of automail and an evil grin had quickly made him leave her alone. But the young man who had sat opposite her and spent most of the hour to his stop staring at her, had had her shifting on her seat and fighting an urge to shove her automail in his face. He hadn't even said anything.

Which was probably better than the guy who had sat there and talked non-stop until he had asked her where she was going. To her reply of "Central" he had given her a verbal tour that had been slightly incorrect, and had offered to be her guide.

"_No thanks, I've been there before." Edward had said non-commitally._

"_Are you sure? Where are you staying? Maybe we can go out sometime and I can show you my favourite restaurant there."_

"_Central Headquarters." Ed had said casually._

"_You're in the military?" He had asked as his eyes widened._

"_Yes. Returning after being on leave." She had replied. She had watched him swallow and look around the train as if seeking an escape route which had made her frown slightly. Was this another female thing or simply not wanting to have anything to do with the military?_

He had left soon after and the look of relief on his face made her think he didn't like the military but she wasn't sure and she didn't like not being sure. How was she supposed to know? Did women know? If she'd still been male, she would've known it was because of the military, but having to consider two sides to everything was becoming a nightmare. Edward felt like she was second-guessing herself.

She almost longed for the office and a set routine with familiar faces where she knew exactly what was happening and who she was. She always knew where she stood with Mustang and the others, although Mustang had been rather different lately but that was because he was coming out of his little hole. Edward wondered if he had managed to come out further or if he had slipped back into it to make up for the birthday party. When he wasn't being morose and introspective, he was easy to talk to she thought. That breakfast discussion had been interesting until he had disagreed with her… and damn it, she was thinking about him again!

Ed dropped her head into her hands. Why me, she thought?

* * *

Why me indeed, Edward thought darkly as she entered Central Headquarters. Halfway up the boulevard to the main entrance she had suddenly realised that she didn't know which dorm she was in now. When they had left two weeks ago, Falman had said she would be re-allocated one and she would be notified about it. But she had received no notifications. So, she was mentally tired beyond belief and physically tired of traveling, she had no idea where she was now living and then the idiot of a guard at the gate had insisted on seeing her watch. She had dragged out the watch from her pocket by the highly visible chain and waved it right under his nose.

He had not believed her when she had given her rank and name. He had asked her to repeat herself.

"I _am_ Lieutenant-Colonel Elric and if you ask me again, I will transmute you permanently to this position. Are we clear, Corporal?" Edward had stated very clearly.

He had paled and nodded. He had saluted hurriedly. "Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am."

"Do not call me that. Either use Fullmetal, or Sir." Edward had demanded and she had stalked off, heading for the main lobby and desk.

Now that, she knew had been because she was female. She was the only female alchemist. This she could handle, almost. But she was going to have it made law somewhere that they were never to call her 'Ma'am'. She really did not like that. No-one called Hawkeye that. As far back as Ed could remember Riza had been 'Sir' and still was. She was going to be a 'Sir' too. Besides, 'Ma'am' was for old people and she wasn't old.

The desk sergeant looked up when the door opened and saw the blonde enter. She strode across to him and could see the recognition in his eyes.

"Dormitory allocations. I need to know where they've put me. Can you help?" She asked in a polite manner.

"Certainly Ma'am."

"No, Sergeant. Not Ma'am. You can call me Lieutenant-Colonel, or Sir, or even Fullmetal. Just not Ma'am." Edward said firmly.

"But Ma'… Sir. It's the regulations. All female officers are to…"

"Not this one, Sergeant. Nor Captain Hawkeye either, I'd be willing to bet." Ed smirked at the rapid shaking of his head.

"No, Sir." He said and pulled up the dormitory lists. "Level 3, Room 35."

Ed sighed. She was going to have to climb stairs. "Is there a key here, or is it in the mail still with my notification?"

"There's a key here, M…Sir." And he handed her the tagged key.

"Thank you Sergeant." Ed looked at it. "One last thing. How do I actually get to the female dorms?"

* * *

It was almost exactly the same as the room she had shared with Al. Except the bedroom was slightly smaller and if she put her face right up against the window and twisted to look down she could just see a courtyard beneath her window. Otherwise she could look at the blinding white wall of the next building. The curtains were not thick enough so she clapped and made them thicker with the piece of something that was trying to pass itself off as a rug on the kitchenette floor.

At least she had all four drawers of the dresser to herself now, and an actual wardrobe had been slotted into the room, which was probably why the room seemed so much smaller Ed thought as she looked at it. She hung up her uniform and her coat and the pyjamas while the rest of her clothes went into the drawers. She grinned at the pyjamas as they glowed redly in the shadowed wardrobe. She liked wearing them now. They were so damned comfortable and they made her feel good when she had them on. Winry's face had been a picture the first time she had seen Ed wearing them. She had been so envious and Al and Ed had shared a quick wink. Al could hardly wait for her birthday after that so he could give her the ones he had bought for her.

It was a shame dormitory bedding was so utilitarian, Ed thought, as she clapped and softened the sheets. And then laughed at the thought of silk sheets and silk pyjamas all at once. She'd slip right out of bed, she thought.

After she had unpacked everything, she looked around the room and decided to hit the mess for dinner and then an early night to be ready for whatever Mustang would throw at her tomorrow morning.

* * *

Edward did not sleep well. She woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. She was so used to sharing a room with Al, that being on her own had made her restless. She was so used to hearing snoring noises and someone else breathing that the silence had unnerved her slightly. By half past five, she gave up trying and went to spend an hour in the bathroom to make up for it. That was one bonus she thought. She didn't have anyone banging on the door hurrying her up.

By the time she got out of the shower and into her uniform it was nearly six-thirty. According to the helpful note tacked to the wall near the door, mess hours began at six a.m. and went until ten p.m. The note also said that visitors were discouraged, windows should not be opened except in case of an emergency and laundry day was Friday. No pets were allowed either.

She shrugged into the short jacket and straightened the butt-skirt. When she and Al had worn their uniforms that day, she had worn the white shirt under the jacket but today she wore the sleeveless skivvy, and found it very comfortable and a lot smoother under the jacket than the shirt had been. She had made size adjustments to the trousers and boots last time, so now all she had to do was put them on. She smiled as she braided her hair, Al would appreciate it she thought.

She left her dorm and walked down the stairs, her booted feet echoing in the stairwell as her silver chain jingled softly. On the ground floor, she had to wait while a line of half a dozen track-suited soldiers ran past, chivvied along by a loud-mouthed Sergeant-Major. Ed grinned slightly and made her way to the mess after they had gone.

It was the first time she had not felt all eyes on her, she thought as she filled her tray. Probably because she was in the uniform everyone else was wearing and because she didn't have Mustang or any of his crew nearby. Her watch chain was half-hidden beneath the butt-skirt and she had seniority enough to avoid any looks from the lower ranks.

The mess wasn't that crowded yet so it was easy to find a small table near the coffee urns and pour herself a cup before starting to eat. She was halfway through her meal when a shadow fell across the table.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Ralke asked hesitantly. She smiled at him and waved her fork at the other chair as she nodded and swallowed her mouthful.

"Sure, Ralke. It's good to see you again." She said as he sat down with his own tray. "How you enjoying it so far?" She asked and watched his face light up.

"It's great. I really love it. We went to South Headquarters for a week and they say I might get a posting there, Ed… I mean…Lieutenant-Colonel." He was about to say 'Ma'am' when he remembered her original reaction to being called that.

"Call me Ed, Ralke. I've never worried too much about rank." Ed grinned at him. "Besides, you're a friend."

"Where's Al?" Ralke asked after he smiled back, feeling that she was his friend too.

Ed told him about Al and his resignation. And they spent the rest of breakfast in light conversation. It was nearing half seven when they finished and they stood up and headed out. Ed waved cheerfully before she headed up the stairs to Mustang's office.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was in his office earlier than normal this morning. He hadn't slept well and was feeling slightly irritable. The trouble between Havoc and Hawkeye had made the office the most uncomfortable place to be. He rather envied Fuery for being able to disappear with a legitimate excuse while he was stuck here signing the folders and papers his pale faced Captain brought him. The office was so quiet, it was like a tomb. Breda had volunteered to help Fuery, and Falman had managed to get himself appointed to the final testings and inductions for the latest recruits. Which left Mustang trapped in here with two extremely silent and stony faced Captains in the outer office.

This morning he only had one Captain to worry about. He had managed to get Hawkeye on a committee that was looking at upgrading the shooting range facilities. She was going to be involved with that all week with any luck, he hoped.

And Edward was due back today.

It was strange how much he was looking forward to having her walk through that door. Maybe with her back, Hawkeye and Havoc would work things out and he could have a nice complete and normal office again. Or as normal as his office ever was. But it would be different as well. Edward wasn't in the middle of trying to find anything, she wasn't scouring the country for answers to things that were probably better left unanswered.

He suddenly wondered how content Ed was going to be to remain in the one place, to settle into this office and not want to wander away occasionally. Even Al had felt the need to travel around, even before he intensified his search to bring Ed back.

Roy wondered how either one of them was ever going to settle down. Al had Winry now and she would keep him grounded but Ed had no-one. She was going to be here, separated from Al and all she called home. Who was going to keep her grounded?

* * *

Edward was rather surprised to see only Havoc in the office when she entered. And it wasn't a happy Havoc either. He looked absolutely dreadful. She stared at him as he stared at a piece of paper on his desk. He didn't even seem to notice her standing there.

"Havoc?" She asked tentatively and two red-rimmed eyes looked up. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She exclaimed and walked across to him, thinking he was ill.

"Hey Boss," He said in a sad travesty of his usual cheery manner.

"Hell, Havoc, you look like shit. Go home and get some rest. You look awful." Edward placed her hand on his forehead and was surprised to find no fever there.

"I can't." He muttered and batted her hand away. "I'm fine."

"Where's Riza? She'll take you home and make you see sense." Ed was unprepared for the sad look that came over his face and the deep breath he took as he straightened up.

"No Edward, that's not possible." His voice was scratchy and trying to sound firm but came out sounding lost.

"What happened to her, Jean?" Ed's eyes opened wide and a feeling of dread settled inside her. "Where is she? What happened?"

"I lost her, Ed. I lost her." He whimpered slowly, his blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears that he seemed unaware of. "She left me. And she says she won't come back."

Ed froze and for a second was blindsided with the urge to hit Havoc until she realised that he hadn't deliberately misled her and that she had jumped to the worst possible conclusion on her own and very quickly at that. As soon as the impulse left her though, she became completely bewildered.

"Why would Riza do that? I thought you two were made for each other." Ed asked.

"It was the bets, Edward." Mustang's voice came from the inner doorway. She couldn't stop the shiver that made her back twitch and she frowned in confusion. Damn it, why did that happen again she asked herself.

She turned around and looked at him. He was leaning against the door frame and there was a sympathetic expression on his face as he looked at Havoc but it disappeared when he looked at her and his eye almost gleamed. She was in uniform and it fitted her as well as he remembered. Her long braid made his fingers itch as he remembered its feel. He had not missed the shiver she gave and the puzzled look in her eyes. In any one else and four years ago he would have automatically labeled those reactions as unaware attraction. But this was Edward Elric and Roy didn't have the arrogant self-confidence that he had had back then. But he couldn't stop the wayward thought that he had always had a very soft spot for long hair.

"Riza left him because of the bets?" Edward blinked and looked stunned. "But why?"

"Apparently there was a comment made about Jean proposing by the time Al and Winry got married."

"Which is ages, eight months away." Ed said, still completely puzzled.

"Jean said he wouldn't bet on it at all, but he would make Breda lose one by not proposing." Havoc's head hit the table as Mustang spoke and Ed looked from one to the other. "Riza walked in as he said that, broke it off and then walked out."

"I didn't mean it, I was only threatening Breda, I wouldn't have really done that." Jean said, his voice muffled against the desk.

"Winry got upset with the bets, too. Al said she got very angry." Ed told them. "It's why she proposed to him, I believe. Apparently Al said he wouldn't propose because he didn't want her to feel like he wasn't being genuine about it."

Havoc groaned. "I am never going to bet again."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Ed muttered and then looked around at Breda's desk. "Winry said I had to do something to Breda or else. Al nearly passed out when she said that. Why would he do that?"

Havoc's face lightened briefly and a weak smile broke through his gloom before it disappeared again. Roy however, grinned widely.

"Miss Rockbell has a sadistic side that Al discovered several times over the last few years and the phrase 'or else' signals the appearance of this completely evil side of hers." Roy said with amusement as Ed looked rather taken aback.

"Really? More sadistic than normal, huh?" And watched as both Mustang and Havoc nodded. Her eyebrows rose and she walked to Breda's desk.

"I guess I should take no chances then." She said as she clapped and placed her hands on the desk. In the corner the wood warped and rose up. It looked exactly like Black Hayate and it sat there grinning in a most realistic canine fashion.

"If I leave it here for a week, do you think that would suffice?" She asked and Mustang laughed.

Breda did not laugh. He did demand that it be removed in a loud voice as he stood in the doorway. When told it was an 'or else' gift from Winry Rockbell in return for the bets, he shut up immediately and dragged Fuery away to examine another junction box.

* * *

It was not a pleasant morning. Edward did not like it in here and she wanted to get out. Havoc was silent but she could feel his misery all through the room. Mustang was in his office and she barely saw him. Every now and again someone would bring in folders and requests and Havoc would take them to Mustang. She had been given several of them, mainly because they dealt with requests for alchemic research projects. It had been interesting at first to see what other people were trying to accomplish but the heavy atmosphere made it impossible to keep up and she had felt herself slipping into her own thoughts.

Like why did she shiver when Mustang first spoke earlier? Was it because she hadn't known he was there? He didn't seem to have changed much since she last saw him, although he had grinned and laughed more easily than she had expected. _That_ was a definite improvement, she thought. It had made him look younger, more human. His eye had gleamed and she could have sworn that he had been staring at her hair too. She swore to herself. She was thinking about him again, dammit.

Perhaps she should think of Riza and Jean and figure out how to get them back together. At least now she understood why Granny Pinako had said not to tell Winry about the bets, but surely this was an extreme reaction? Riza had always seemed so collected and with-it. Why had she suddenly turned her back on Havoc? They belonged together, Ed thought. If Al and Winry could get past the bets, why was it different for Riza and Jean?

Was this a female thing, she wondered. Or was it a human one? It was hard to tell. She didn't know and she didn't think she should ask Riza about it. Maybe Gracia could help, she thought. She'd know what to do, surely. Relationships seemed to have a mind of their own. Why would anyone want to take the risk if it could all fall apart like this? What if something went wrong and Al and Winry broke up? Al would be absolutely devastated. Pinako had said they had to work things out on their own, but surely friends and family were able to help? There had to be something she could do.

"Fullmetal!" Mustang's call broke through her thoughts and she stood up and sauntered to his doorway, still puzzling over relationships.

"What?" she said as she entered his office.

"These forms need to go to the library and there are some other files that need to come back as well." Mustang sighed as he thought of more paperwork. He looked at her, her eyes were slightly unfocused as if she was thinking of something else.

"Edward?" He asked and she blinked.

"What?"

"Did you hear what I said? You seem to be miles away."

"Yeah, I heard, files to the library." She said and then added. "I was just thinking of Riza and Jean and Al and Winry and wondering why people react so differently in similar situations." She spoke without thinking.

"That's because everyone _is_ different, Edward. You know that. "Roy said, a brief smirk curling his lips.She had a habit of saying exactly what she was thinking about to him, he thought. She had done it a few times in his office over the last couple of months he had noticed. It was as if she could talk to him without having to censor her words. He refused to admit that he was starting a similar habit with her.

"I know that, Mustang." Ed replied with light sarcasm. "But why would Winry react different to Riza? If anything I would have said Winry would have been the more… err… emotional of the two."

"Maybe because Jean was one of the instigators and Al was merely an innocent victim? Because Riza loves Jean more than she wants to admit and was hurt to think that he didn't? Or maybe because Riza wanted Jean to propose and is hurt that he never did. Or Jean is too scared to say how much he loves Riza." Roy looked at Ed as she listened to him, her eyes not leaving his face. "Who knows, Ed. Relationships are the most illogical, complicated and simple things in life."

"How can they be both complicated and simple, Mustang?" Ed asked. "That's impossible."

"Not really Edward. Sometimes the answers you look for are so simple, you have to cover them in doubt and second guesses because you don't think it should be, or even could be that simple."

"Simple?" Ed stared at him and he thought for a moment that she was staring right through him, her eyes unfocused. "That would be nice. I'd like a nice simple answer, but I doubt I'm going to get one." Ed murmured with a short wry laugh and blinked, her eyes refocusing on him. "So, where are these files you want me to deliver?" She asked.

He frowned, wondering what she had meant, but pointed at the small pile on his desk. "Just those ones."

"Okay, Mustang."

"And don't forget to bring back the others, Edward." He reminded her and met her mock-glare with a smirk.

She picked up the folders and watched as he picked up his coffee.

"Oh, by the way," she waited until he took a mouthful. "Al wants you to be his Best Man."

Mustang choked impressively and Edward grinned like the cheshire cat she had read about on the other side.

"What the hell…?" Roy stood up, wiping his mouth on his sleeve before finding a tissue in his drawer and grabbing a few more to cover the mess on his desk.

Ed laughed. "Al told me to ask, that's all."

"You deliberately waited until I had a mouthful of coffee, Edward!"

"Yep." Ed nodded, still grinning.

"Why me?" He asked as he patted tissues over the spilled coffee.

"Because I can't." Ed said abruptly and Roy looked up and met the defiant golden eyes as Ed forcibly kept her smile in place and her shoulders tensed.

"Edward…"

"No, don't say it." Edward took a deep breath and her smile became slightly more natural. "Al has chosen you and if you let him down, so help me, I will personally rip out your heart and offer it to him as a wedding present."

"I wouldn't let Alphonse down, you know that." Roy said as he almost grinned at her statement. "It's a great honour and I am pleased to accept it."

"I'll tell him when I ring later." Ed nodded, her eyes still slightly defiant, but her posture became more relaxed.

"You'll still be there, Edward. Al wouldn't get married without you. I'll stand there and you can do all the work."

"It's ok, they found a place for me." Ed growled slightly and turned to leave the office.

"Doing what, Ed?" Roy asked with genuine curiousity in his voice.

Ed should have kept walking, Ed should have said nothing. Edward Elric should've done a lot of things. But turning around and saying "Chief Bridesmaid" was not what she should have done.

Roy Mustang froze, completely. He stared at the slightly disgruntled face beneath that golden hair, he saw the slight embarrassment in those golden eyes. He knew, he knew how she felt about not being Al's Best Man. He knew all these things and he did something he should not have done.

He laughed. He didn't just burst out laughing, he went straight into fall-in-the-chair-howling-with-laughter. He leant back and felt his stomach muscles pull as he laughed. He couldn't have stopped if he had tried and when a very angry Edward Elric appeared two inches from his face he did try. Automail gripped his shoulder and Edward literally shook him. Her eyes were so golden in her anger at his reaction and her face was flushed. It took him a moment to understand what she was saying as he tried again to stop laughing.

"…enough trouble already! It's hard enough trying to know what I am without you making it worse, Mustang! Do you know how hard it is to be two things all at once? To know that I can't be what I was and have to learn to be something completely different? Do you know what it's like trying to learn that when I haven't got a clue what I'm supposed to know or need to know?"

Ed shook him hard and he almost bit his tongue as his head whiplashed back. He stared into the bright eyes and saw the deep-seated confusion that he didn't understand and that she had been trying to conceal.

"I'm female, Mustang, I am always going to be this way. People see me and see a female, but I don't know what that means, do you? How am I supposed to act? If I had been female all my life, you'd never have laughed like that. But I haven't, so are people going to laugh at me when I come up against something that I have no idea about? Am I going to be judged on some perceived gender specific rule I don't know about? Like that asshole at the exam? Will it be like that for the rest of my life, Mustang?" Ed's hands shook at his shoulders and her face had gone pale, losing its flush, but the eyes were still that brilliant golden shade he had never seen before.

She was shaking all over he realised. She stood in front of his chair, totally consumed with the confusion and anger that had surged up in response to his laughter. It was totally wrong of him to have laughed like that, but he hadn't been able to help it.

"Edward, I shouldn't have laughed, I do apologise for that. But it was the look on your face, not any thought of you being anything other than who you are, that made me laugh." Roy said carefully.

"That's just it, Mustang. Who am I?" Edward took a deep breath. "I want to be _me_, and I don't know who that is anymore."

* * *

Author's Note: I apologise for the lateness of this. As you can see a few things happened and the characters decided to get creative on their own and I didn't intend for them to do that…

And I must say thank you so very, very much for all the reviewers for the last chapter, I couldn't believe the amount I received for that, and I think I managed to answer them all, I hope…

Note that I am using female pronouns now Ed is back in Central when she is on her own instead of the male ones as I did in the section when he was at his mother's grave. Ed will still talk and react as a male, e.g. she'll still call herself 'Al's brother', because she doesn't know which she is yet, but as the change is permanent and Ed will remain female I am going to use them for the descriptive passages.

silken : )


	16. Questions of Sexuality

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Questions of Sexuality**

Roy Mustang looked into the golden eyes. He felt no desire to laugh. Edward was looking extremely unbalanced as her eyes flickered between her confusion and her anger. His voice was firm and even.

"You are Edward Elric."

"But what does that mean, Mustang?" Edward asked in frustration. "I can be Edward but what is Edward? Am I male or female? Damn it, what am _I_?"

"You're female, Edward. You told me that." Roy said calmly and wished Ed would loosen the grip of her right hand. His shoulder was really starting to hurt.

"That doesn't help me when I don't know what it means to be female. Do you?" Ed snapped back.

"Edward." Roy said quietly and lifted his hands to gently grip her wrists. It took a little pressure but he managed to get her to let go of his shoulders and he could feel his left shoulder twitching in relief. He brought her hands down between them and kept his hold on her wrists trying to keep her in one place.

"Enough, Edward. Calm down, you know I don't know what it's like to be female and I certainly wouldn't try to tell you otherwise." Roy kept his eye locked on hers. Roy had questioned many things in his life but he had never questioned his sexuality before. He had questioned why he was here and why he had done certain things, but never had he disputed the fact that he was male. This wasn't a case of deciding whether you liked boys or girls, this was much deeper. This was deciding something everyone else had been born with. A role in life.

Edward had been male, but he had never reached an age to question it or even to have it become an issue to be dealt with. And knowing Edward, Roy thought, he never would've questioned it. But now Ed had no choice but to face it.

No-one told you at birth 'you are a girl and this is how you will be perceived' or 'you are a boy and these are your expectations.' You grew up and any perceptions and expectations were all subconscious. And it had been the same for Edward. He had had his place, had never needed to even think about it but now it was different. He had been told 'you are a girl' and now she was trying to understand something so primal, so fundamental, that Roy couldn't even begin to imagine where she would start.

"I know you wouldn't, but it doesn't help when people make assumptions or see me as something I don't know is me or not." Ed replied and he could feel her still trembling.

"You never cared what people thought of you before, Ed."

"That was before I had it shoved in my face." Ed retorted. "That was before I had you laugh at me."

Roy winced. "I did apologise for that, Ed."

"I know and I'd like a written copy to prove it." Ed said with a flash of her old spirit. "But that's not really much help, Mustang. Are others going to do the same? Will I know why they're laughing if they don't tell me?"

"Edward, I think you're making this too complicated. You need to simplify it." Roy said slowly, his thumbs unconsciously making calming circles across her wrists.

"I think I've already done that Mustang. I'm female, I don't know what that means, I have no way of finding out, and my life has become confusion personified. How much simpler would you like it be?" Ed was vaguely aware of his grip at her wrists, even though she could only feel the pressure on her left arm. She was more aware of the look in his eye as she stared at him. It looked like genuine concern and a willingness to help. Edward wasn't sure about that. She didn't like having to rely on others.

"Let's start at the beginning of your list, Edward. You're female, it means you look different. You don't look the same as you did before."

"I'd already figured that one out, Mustang!" She tried to pull her hands free to throw them up in the air but his grip tightened and she remained held in his grasp. "_My_ eyes still work." She said sarcastically.

"Stop that Edward. You know I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I didn't know, idiot. You sounded like you were talking to a child. I am not a child anymore, Mustang. I do know what I look like, I even know that this is what people see when they look at me. I know all that already, ok?" Edward glared at him. "You're being condescending and it's pissing me off, Mustang. Do not do that again."

"I'm trying to make this simple, Ed." Roy protested.

"Mustang, it can't get any simpler. People see me as female. I don't." Ed stared at him. "Try and simplify that further." She almost dared him.

"Fine. So that is as simple as it gets." Roy said begrudgingly.

"Finally!" Ed exclaimed. "Get this man a kewpie doll." She rolled her eyes and sighed theatrically.

Roy looked at her puzzled. "What the hell are you talking about Edward?"

"Haven't you ever gotten a kewpie doll before Mustang?" Ed blinked, suddenly bemused by the look of complete bafflement that appeared on Mustang's face. She had never seen him look like that before and asked, almost in disbelief. "Haven't you ever been to a fairground, Mustang?"

Everyone went to them as children. There had been a traveling Fair that had passed through Resembool every year. Surely Mustang had had something similar when he was growing up. There had been fairs on the other side of the Gate and Edward had gone to a few of them, even traveling with one for a short time. It had been a bitter-sweet reminder of the home she had been certain she would never be able to return to again. She watched him thinking and his pause grew longer and longer.

"You haven't, have you?" She stated, almost dumbstruck. "You've never been to one, you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I thought you were trying to find out who you are, Edward." Roy said bluntly, trying to get Edward back to her original thoughts. He didn't think his ignorance of fairs needed to be discussed at all.

"I'm someone who's been to a fair, and you haven't." Ed said in wonderment and she gave a small smile. "How weird. It doesn't matter what sex I am right now. I've been to a fair and you haven't."

"It's called 'I've done something you haven't' and it gives you a slight and fleeting sense of superiority. Not everything you feel is going to be determined by what gender you are, Edward." Roy said. "And surely you've felt like this before?"

"Yes, but not when it's been something that you haven't done." And Ed grinned at him. "I don't care how fleeting this moment is. I have been to a fair and you haven't."

Roy Mustang should have left it there. Roy should have let go of Ed's hands and sent her off to the library. Roy should not have let that little smirking grin of hers get to him. Roy Mustang should never have opened his mouth.

"Well at least I have been out on a date and you haven't."

Edward froze. She stared at him and he found his sudden burst of one-upmanship slinking away as fast as it could as soon as the words left his mouth.

"_What the fuck_…?" The words came out as a strangled shocked whisper. He watched her eyes and hid his trepidation as the colour drained from her face.

"This is not about your gender, Edward. This is about _you_. I am willing to state that I believe that you have never been on a date either as a male or female." Roy said as calmly as he could. He knew he had to start talking and keep on talking or she was going to tear his office apart straight after she tore him apart. "You're getting so twisted about what belongs to female and male that you are losing sight of Edward. I don't care if you've been to a fair or not, I'm not particularly upset that I've never been to one and we can poke fun at each other for that all you want. And maybe I didn't choose the best example when you smirked at me but it doesn't mean I'm trying to put you down or put you into somewhere you don't want to go."

Roy let the words come without thinking too much about them. Edward's eyes were still fixed on his and her face was still pale. He could feel her shaking and knew she was still close to exploding at him. The anger in her eyes didn't quite cover the little glimpse he saw of the pain she was feeling somewhere inside.

"It doesn't matter if you've never been out on a date or to dinner, Edward. I am not concerned that you are probably the most talented alchemist there is and I don't care if you do start a brawl in the mess. _None_ of those things are gender related, Edward. People are going to see you as female, but the only one who can define what that means _to_ you is _you_."

He watched her carefully and took a small breath when he saw her eyes flicker in acknowledgement of what he was saying. There was a little bit of colour returning to her face.

"Edward, haven't you spoken to Al about any of this?" He asked suddenly and saw her shake her head. "Have you spoken to anyone at all about this?" Her head shook again. "But why not?"

"Who can I talk to, Mustang? No-one else has been through this. There are no books or anything about this. Al would cover himself in blame and start trying to fix it all over again. I wouldn't even be talking to you…" Ed stopped.

"I know." Roy said. "If I hadn't goaded you into it. But Ed, you can not do this all on your own. We, no, I am here if you need to talk. That's what friends are for."

They stared at each other. "Friends, huh?" Ed said quietly. "Does that mean I can't hit you anymore?"

"Yes." Roy nodded. He could see her withdrawing, pushing her confusion and anger into the little boxes they lived in, trying to get herself balanced again.

"Okay, _friend_." And Ed emphasized the word as if to say 'I don't completely trust you yet'. "Answer me this. Why _did_ you say that about my not having gone out on a date before?"

"It was something that came up a week ago from the whole bet fiasco." Roy said and hoped Ed would let it stop there. The raised eyebrow he received told him that Ed did not find his reply satisfactory. So he sighed and went ahead, feeling he was about to dig his own grave.

"Havoc made a comment that Winry would propose to Al on the day that you got a date. The others took that as a bet and there was a lively discussion in here as to who would be the …err person to have the privilege of being your companion for the event." Roy looked at her. "There was no questioning of who or what you are, Ed. It was simply spoken of as dinner with you." He said honestly.

"You're being sincere aren't you?" Edward said on a sigh and he nodded at her. "Al does it better. Can I have my hands back now?" She asked and he blinked and let go of her wrists. He had forgotten he was still holding them.

She was pulling away, mentally and physically, as she walked around the desk and picked up the files she had dropped earlier. There was a distance in her eyes and he wondered just how she was able to vacillate backwards and forwards between such extremes.

"Edward, would you like to go to dinner one evening?" He asked suddenly and he caught a glimpse of extremely startled eyes as she left his office without replying.

He leant back in his chair and wondered what demon had taken over his brain that time. He had not just asked Edward Elric out? He hadn't, had he? He put his head in his hands and groaned. He had.

* * *

Ed walked to the library in a daze. Mustang could not have meant that … that… could he? That had not been Roy Mustang back there. That had to have been someone else. Roy Mustang did not apologise, he did not try to be understanding and supportive and he did not ask Edward Elric out to dinner.

Edward had gone from fury to bemusement to fury to stunned and all because of him. No-one ever made her react like he did. She regretted saying anything to him at all but then straightaway took that thought back. He had been right, arrogant man. She could not do this on her own and there had been no-one else she could talk to. Had she spoken to him just because he had been the one there at the time or because it had been _Mustang_ there? Would she have said any of that if it had been anyone else there? Was this a female thing or a human thing? Ed stopped.

No, I am not going to second guess this one. I said those things because… because it was Mustang there. Because I knew he wouldn't judge me. That's why it had stung when he had said that. It had felt like a judgment, like when Granny had pointed out that I knew nothing about relationships. Edward looked at her hands holding the files. I would have hit him if he hadn't been holding my wrists. Why didn't I hit him? Maybe I ought to go back and hit him…just to make up for it.

Edward grumbled. "I hate that man" she muttered under her breath. He was right, the only one who could decide what it all meant was herself. Her seeing things as 'female' or 'human' wasn't even really correct. She was copping out by labeling it 'human' when it really meant 'me' or how I thought things should be seen. She had always tried but had never succeeded in lying to herself. It would make life so much easier if I could, she thought.

Friends? Her and Mustang? She had begun to consider him a friend while she had been in Resembool, but to have it openly said by him had been rather surprising. She hadn't thought he would see them as friends. Not after their last few encounters. But then she remembered what Gracia had said about it being only with people you trusted that you could break down. Ed realised that also applied to other things, like venting frustrations and uncertainties and both she and Mustang had done that. Did she trust him? Eight years ago she would have said no. Even four years ago she would have said she didn't mistrust him. But now, she had to admit that she did trust him.

Which made her wonder. Did he trust her?

"Here you are, Sir." The librarian handed her the folders that had to be returned to Mustang. "Oh, by the way." The librarian added and leant across her desk.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"You know Captain Havoc who works in the Brigadier-General's office?" Edward nodded and frowned slightly. "Could you give this to him for me please?" The librarian continued in a rush and gave Ed a sealed envelope. "Please, it would mean great deal to me."

"Sure." Ed shrugged and stuck the envelope in her trouser pocket and left the building, slightly bemused by the brilliant smile the librarian had given.

Edward walked back to Headquarters slowly, her mind churning over those last words. Recalling that shocked look on his face, she knew he hadn't meant to say it, but. But what if he had? She recalled the warmth of his hand at her wrist and that look of concern in his eye. What if he had?

* * *

Roy Mustang wondered if he could leave early, before Edward came back from the library. It was pitiful he thought. Here he was, running around in mental circles because he had asked Edward Elric out to dinner and he didn't know if he had meant it. Not only that, he didn't know how Edward had taken his words. Did she think he was being serious or facetious? If she had thought him facetious he was sure that as soon as she returned she was going to hit him or something equally painful.

He had told her he was her friend. There was another set of words he had trouble believing he had spoken out loud. Those damned eyes were getting to him, he was sure of it. He had seen the pain beneath the anger, he had said the words that had put it there. He was an idiot, he was sure of it. Why did he get a twinge in his stomach when he knew he had caused her pain? Why was he even thinking about it when he had all that horrible paperwork just waiting for him? Scratch that last question, anything was preferable to paperwork.

Edward was having a difficult time and he had somehow said the wrong thing. He hadn't thought his words would have had such an effect, but he realised now that Ed was questioning _everything_ about herself and his remark had just highlighted something she possibly saw as a shortcoming on her part. Insensitive is what he had been and all because of that damned little smirk of hers.

It was a continual puzzle to him that since her return, she had managed to get to him so much. Every time, he would be left wondering just what it was that she did that sent him so off balance. He had never reacted so erratically before. That little smirk had set him off again. He had snapped back with the first thing that had come to his mind, that he knew he had done in a stupid display of one-upmanship. They had never descended to that level before. Their little spats had never needed to become that infantile. Edward had probably only said it in the first place because she needed to feel that she was something other than a walking question mark.

And now because of that, he had asked her to dinner. Well, not exactly specifically asked her to dinner, but thrown the idea out there. Although if she said yes, then it would be classed as a definite invitation. Which he didn't know if she would. Which brought him back to the beginning again. How was Ed taking it?

Simplify, Roy, he told himself, simplify. You spent all that time telling Ed to think simple, so why don't you? Do you or don't you want to go to dinner with Edward? Yes, no, yes, dammit I don't know. He got out of his chair and paced his office. If he didn't know, then why had he asked? If he hadn't meant it, would he have still said it?

Roy ran his fingers through his hair and groaned softly. One simple question and he had managed to confuse himself completely. He was Roy Mustang, he had years of experience and a reputation beyond measure when it came to these sorts of things, even if it was four years old. So how was it possible that one single question to one single blonde had literally confounded him?

And let's not forget that that single blonde was in the middle of an identity crisis that was making her as unpredictable as he had ever known her to be. Sometimes, Roy thought, I can be such an idiot.

* * *

Edward came back to the office and placed the new folders on Havoc's desk and let him carry them into Mustang. She put the envelope on Havoc's desk and saw him ignore it as he slipped back into his melancholic state. Edward kept her attention on the files she had ignored that morning and tried hard to concentrate on them.

Mustang stayed in his office but her hearing had somehow become strangely acute and she could hear every move he made. She could hear when he tossed a file on his desk, she could hear the papers rustling, she could hear his chair squeak slightly when he leant back and she swore she could hear him breathing at one point during the afternoon.

Her mind kept replaying his words and she kept seeing that concerned look in his eye. The anger she had felt at his taunt had disappeared and that confused her. She didn't hold grudges but a Mustang jibe could eat at her for a few days sometimes. This one had all but disappeared and only left the lingering hurt. She wished Al was here. She needed someone to talk to, although talk was probably the wrong word. What she really wanted was someone to listen while she ranted. A good rant had always made her feel better and it usually helped clear her head. She had the feeling that she would get some very strange looks if she started talking to herself.

What was she going to do? She didn't like sitting here with the same thoughts running through her head. It didn't help that she didn't know if he had been serious or not. It was hard to believe he had meant it. His shocked face had hardly been reassuring. She looked at the morose Havoc and wished that it was Hawkeye sitting there. She really needed to talk about this.

* * *

Roy Mustang stayed in his office and refused to leave it. Havoc brought in more files and he found the ones from the library in the pile so he knew Edward had returned. He still hadn't answered his own questions, he didn't want to try and answer any she might have. He wondered if it was too late to crawl back into his comfortable little black hole and hide there for the next few days. Life had seemed much easier when he had kept himself closed off from everyone else.

He rolled his eyes and leant back in his chair. And who had dragged him out of that? None other than that blonde haired puzzle in the outer office. Did he really want to go back to that? Hadn't he spent a long night realizing he was lonely in that old life and then spent a week or two after it in denial? Until that day she had waltzed in here with that skirt and that smile…damn it. He was back to Edward again.

Not since Maes had he let loose like that but he would never have asked Maes out to dinner, so why had he asked her? He and Maes would have drunk themselves silly and said no more about it. If Edward had still been male would he have done the same? Was it only because Edward _was_ female that he had asked her? Because one did not usually go drinking yourself blind with a female companion. He groaned silently, now he was the one questioning gender perceptions.

No wonder Edward was having a hard time.

* * *

Somehow the afternoon passed and Edward sighed with relief when Havoc began to tidy his desk and stood up. He really did look dreadful she thought and he had barely spoken all day. She watched him leave without a word, his face settled into a blank morose mask. She shivered, it was hard to believe that that was the same Jean Havoc she remembered from two weeks ago. She glanced at his desk and shook her head. He hadn't eaten lunch as a full box still sat there. She sighed, she was going to have to do something, she couldn't let Havoc stay like that. And if he was like this, what was Riza like? Now there was a thought that made her really shiver. Was she game enough to go and find Riza and see what was going on?

She remembered Granny Pinako telling her to stay out of these sorts of things, but she didn't really expect Ed to do that, did she? Ed wasn't about to watch her friends suffer without at least trying to help.

She stood up and walked around her desk and straight into Roy Mustang as he walked out of his office. Her nose met his chest and they both stepped back quickly, eyes flickering to the sides before meeting, almost defiantly.

"I thought you'd gone." He said and instantly wished he could take them back. Her eyes widened and then darkened. "Dammit Ed, I didn't mean it like that." He said and thrust his hand through his hair.

"You're making a habit of that, Mustang." Edward said in a cool voice.

"What's another bad habit?" He muttered and looked at her with a sigh. "Look Edward, I realise today has been confusing for you. It hasn't been exactly easy for me either and, no that is not an excuse before you say it." He saw the gleam in her eyes and got in first.

"Then you're being selfish."

"And you're not?" Roy asked as his eyebrow rose. "Everyone is selfish Ed. You and me included. Both of us have said things today we probably wouldn't have said normally and maybe you can pick up and keep going but I can't. I have spent too long…" Roy stopped and his face closed. He looked past her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Edward." He walked around her and left the office.

Edward frowned as she watched his retreating back. So upright and tense. It was okay for her to let her mouth runaway with itself, but he had to shut down just at the interesting bits. No wonder he had been comfortable in his little hole she thought. Damn, he was stupid as well as being too damn proud for his own good.

She cast a quick look round the office and shrugged. Tidying her desk could wait and she left the office picking up speed as she hit the corridor.

* * *

Roy walked towards the exit and his waiting car. He was deep in thought. He had done it again. Letting himself talk without thinking. And to Edward, again. He really did need to be on his own for awhile. What was wrong with being selfish, he thought. He needed to try and find some answers and even if he couldn't find them all, he at least needed to know that he had tried. And he couldn't do that if he was trying to keep from making comments that would upset Edward's little applecart. Fine, so she had some problems, but he had to sort his own feelings out if he was ever going to be of help to her.

He stopped dead in the middle of the corridor. Since when had he decided he was going to help her?

He didn't hear the booted feet running after him. But he did feel the solid weight that crashed into his back and sent him stumbling forward.

"What the hell?" He staggered sideways and hit the wall, using it to regain his balance and turned to see a breathless Edward picking herself up off the floor. Her face was flushed, her bangs were ruffled and strands were slipping from her braid.

"You idiot, Mustang! What on earth possessed you to stand in the middle of the hall like that?" Edward grumbled as she stood up and brushed her uniform down. She grimaced at the dark marks on her gloves and gave a quick clap to clean them.

"What were you thinking by running around like that, Edward?" Roy snapped back. He stood up and pulled his uniform straight, a hand lifting to run through his hair.

"I had to run, you were walking too damned fast." Edward looked at him intently. And he blinked.

"Why were you chasing after me?" He was unable to resist asking.

"Because you were running away, idiot." Edward said simply. And he knew exactly what she meant and he resented her for knowing that.

"Don't." She said as he opened his mouth. "Do not say it. Yes, I know it's not my place and yes I know you will hate me forever for butting in like this and yes, I am going to stay right here until you agree with me. Does that cover the highlights?" She didn't wait for his reply. "Good, now let's go."

"Go where?" He managed to say.

"To dinner, idiot. Really Mustang, where have all your brains gone to?" Ed rolled her eyes and pointed down the hall. "The exit's this way isn't it?"

* * *

Edward did not allow herself to think until they were in the car and heading to the first restaurant Mustang had managed to drag out of his memory and that his driver had approved of. Ed grinned to herself, now that had been a priceless moment.

_They had approached the car and the uniformed sergeant had hurried around to open the door for them. His eyes had been wide, but in true military fashion he had said nothing and watched impassively as they had slipped into the back seat._

"_Alfredo's." Mustang had said in a dazed voice._

"_I'm sorry Sir, Alfredo's closed three years ago."_

_Mustang had turned to face Ed and had looked a bit lost. The sergeant had turned in his seat and was watching them._

"_Don't look at me, Mustang. I'm the one who's never been to dinner remember?" Edward said as she leant back against the seat and grinned at him._

"_Silvers?" Mustang had asked next._

"_Burnt down last year, Sir."_

_Edward had tried to stifle her laugh but she caught the amused glint in the driver's eyes and had chuckled._

"_Well, hell Edward, it's not like I eat out every night." Mustang had retorted._

"_If I may suggest Dominic's, Sir." The sergeant had interposed._

"_Dominic's?" Mustang had queried. "Weren't they closed for non-compliance with some Health regulations?" _

"_Yes, Sir, but that was a long time ago and the new owners are most particular." The driver had replied._

_As the car started to move, Edward had looked at Mustang with a querying look in her eyes._

"_Just when was the last time you went to dinner anyway?" _

"_Shut up, Fullmetal."_

_Roy Mustang had folded his arms and stared straight ahead, refusing to say anything more. She had caught the grin of the driver in the rear view mirror and grinned back at him._

Edward looked out the window and saw the lights coming on as the evening deepened. She had run after Mustang and basically ambushed him. She knew what he would have done. He would've gone home and sat there and tried to crawl back into his hole. Probably with a bottle in his hand. She didn't know why she had had to run after him. It was almost like she was trying to save him from himself. And that was just stupid because he was more than capable of doing that on his own. So why had she gone after him? And then gone and mentioned dinner as well? Sometimes she wondered if she was the idiot and not him.

Roy sat and watched the back of his driver's head. How he had ended up here with Edward at his side going to dinner he had no idea. Why had she come running after him like that? Did she think he had a problem or something? He had really had enough of her company today, so why was he sitting here with her beside him? And going to dinner. This had to be a dream or something. He was probably still back at his office, fast asleep at his desk. He resisted the temptation to pinch himself and knew as the car pulled to a stop outside the restaurant that this was no dream. God, he really must be the idiot Edward kept calling him.

* * *

The maitre d' was impressed at the sight of the two military personnel as they approached his desk and recognized Brigadier-General Mustang. He didn't know the blonde Lieutenant-Colonel at his side and he was aware that she was looking around at everything curiously. Her hair was a remarkable golden shade of blonde and when he saw the golden eyes that matched it he knew he would always recognize her. Once he knew who she was.

"A table for two, Sir?" The maitre d' said in his soft polite voice.

"Yes thank you." Mustang said with equal politeness and he lifted his hand to indicate that Edward should walk in front of him and follow the man to their table. He almost smiled when he realised that Edward did not even see his hand as she was still looking around. So he lightly gripped her elbow and steered her in the correct direction.

Mustang saw the eyes that followed them. The two blue uniforms were highly visible amongst the other well-dressed diners. He could feel the glances at his back and resisted the urge to lower his head to hide his eye. His fingers tightened at Edward's elbow and she shot him a quick glance over her shoulder as they wove their way through the tables. He smiled but there was no depth to it and her eyebrow rose and she gave him an equally false smile back and crossed her eyes at him for the briefest moment. He bit his lip as she turned away and his smile became more real.

They were led to a small table near a window, not too close to the next tables and Edward looked confused when the maitre d' held her chair out for her. She almost reached her hand back to take it from him when she saw the brief shake of Mustang's head and the meaningful stare he was giving her. She let the man seat her at the table and sat back gazing around her.

"This is a nice place, Mustang." She said as she saw shining glassware and silver on the table. The centerpiece was a simple arrangement of two roses and a small candle.

"Yes, it is." He agreed as he looked around and noted the curious glances they were getting. Most, he noticed were focusing on Edward. Whether it was because she was with him, or because she was a striking person in her own right he wasn't sure although he leaned to the latter thought.

The maitre d' returned with their menus.

"Would Sir and Madam wish for something to drink whilst deciding?" He asked. Roy's eye widened and his hand shot across the table and grabbed tight to Ed's left hand as he saw the golden eyes flash and she straightened up in her chair.

"No, Edward." He said in a low voice and she glared at him. "Do not start that one here."

The maitre d' opened his eyes wide. The golden _female_ blonde was called 'Edward'? Just who was this?

"Fine, Mustang." The blonde had a light voice even when it was filled with reluctance.

"There are some things you are just going to have to accept." The Brigadier-General said soothingly and the blonde relaxed further. "We'll just have some water for now, thank you." Mustang said to the maitre d' and he nodded as he left the menus with them.

"I wasn't going to hit him, Mustang." Edward pointed out.

"I know, Ed. But you were going to tell him." And he smiled as she nodded. "Edward, this is not the military. You can not change everything you don't like."

Ed sighed. "Fine, but I don't have to like it."

"If it makes you feel better, Edward, then hate it as much as you like. Just don't make a scene about it, because it will not change anything." Roy said calmly. "Perhaps you would like to read the menu instead?" He added facetiously and smiled at her as she scrunched her nose at him.

"Can I have my hand back?" She asked and he shook his head even as he let her hand go.

"Sorry."

"That's twice in one day, Mustang." Edward smirked at him.

He looked at her puzzled. "Twice what, Edward?"

"Apologies. I really should get written copies of them." She laughed lightly and he shook his head again. And he had been thinking that twice today he had held her hands.

Dinner surprised them both by proceeding very easily and without any problems. They had a small argument over whether the veal was better than the beef and whether Ed really should have two desserts. By the time the coffee arrived, they were pleasantly full and relaxed. Their conversation had flowed and they had discussed alchemy and books and even the Hawkeye/Havoc problem.

Roy sat back and looked at Edward. She was almost glowing he thought. Good food and good company did make for a fine evening and it had been a long time since he had enjoyed an evening more. Edward had surprised him with her intelligence on matters other than alchemy. She had let slip some stories about her four years away and he had been aware of the sorrow in her voice as she spoke of the people there. He was again aware that she carried painful memories that he didn't know about and that she had no intention of sharing them. Maybe one day, he thought. Somewhere over the last four years she had developed good manners and despite her dislike of being called 'Madam' and her obvious ignorance of dining out, she had stayed polite and calm with the waiters and had ignored the stares they had been getting all evening.

He wondered idly what it would be like if Edward was all dressed up and in something other than her uniform. With her hair up and maybe something in black or a deep blue, something that could show off her figure and legs. Like that day when she had worn her skirt. He still had that image of her standing in the doorway, the elegant line from her head to her feet highlighted by the perfectly fitting uniform. And that air of confidence that had caused his anger to burn.

Edward looked up over her coffee. He was staring at her again. She had noticed it a few times during the meal. He would suddenly lose his train of thought and just stare. This stare was different to the others though. The others she had recognized as memories and thoughts he wasn't going to share and probably hadn't really wanted to remember in the first place. This one was almost speculative and bemused.

She had enjoyed herself and had found that to be rather surprising. She had expected him to resent her for having forced him out here but there had been none of that. They had talked and managed to even disagree without breaking anything. It had been surprisingly easy to talk with him. He hadn't made her feel out of place or lacking in any way. He had been… friendly, she thought. They had been like equals despite her not knowing about some things. He hadn't tried to cover them up and had let her be herself and she had found that to be very welcome after all the confusion of this morning. She had even become used to the waiter calling her 'Madam', almost.

She pulled her watch out of her pocket and flicked it open unaware of the maitre d's wide eyes as he approached their table.

"Was there anything else, Sir, Madam?" He saw her brief frown and sigh.

"You'll get used to it Edward," Mustang's amused voice made her scowl half-heartedly.

"So you keep saying, Mustang." She replied. Whether it was because of the relaxed atmosphere between them or the pleasant feeling of repletion she found that it was impossible to get annoyed at him.

"Is there a problem here?" The maitre d' asked. His curiousity levels had reached an all time high and despite an unwillingness to intrude, and restaurant policy, he just had to ask. The blonde turned and gave him a wry smile.

"No, it's ok…." She paused as if seeking his name.

"Victor."

"Victor. There's no problem, I just have a thing about being called 'Madam', that's all." She saw Mustang trying to conceal his grin. "Don't you dare laugh, Mustang."

Roy straightened up and smirked at her and her eyes narrowed in anticipation.

"You have the choice Edward. You can be 'Madam' or 'Miss Elric'." He said and watched her eyes widen. "Outside the military, Edward, those are the only choices you have when you meet people."

"I don't like either of them." She groused and pouted.

"You can't be 'Edward' to everyone. And rank and title can be off-putting and in some places they carry little weight anyway." Roy explained as he watched her frown. "You're an adult now, Edward, this is all part of it." He tried hard not to sound condescending and he managed it because the look he got in return did not threaten his physical wellbeing.

She turned the waiting maitre d' who was putting two and two together and getting results of eights and nines.

"I guess I can live with Madam if I have to." She said, ruefully and Mustang smiled as Victor left.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked.

She smirked at him. "I'd like to see what would happen if you were called 'Madam' for a day."

"Edward. You worry about how people see you now, don't complicate it by worrying over the small things like this. What they call you is pretty much irrelevant, it's not going to define _you_ as a person. It just helps their perceptions, not yours. And yours are the ones that matter. I told you before, the only one who can define you is _you_."

"Sometimes, I really think I hate you, Mustang." Edward said with a sigh as she shot him an "especially when you're right' look.

He leant back in his chair and laughed.

* * *

Edward slept well and woke up in a good mood that lasted all the way to the office. The sight of Havoc's miserable face dimmed her enthusiasm slightly and she made her mind up to go and visit Gracia after work. Mustang didn't appear to have arrived yet so she started flipping through another pile of folders that seemed to have appeared overnight.

She had thoroughly enjoyed last night. They had left soon after they had finished their coffees. Victor had asked almost apologetically as they were leaving if she was really Edward Elric and did that mean she was the Fullmetal Alchemist? She had managed a smile and nodded and he had beamed at them both and as Mustang had already paid for their meal, he had offered them a free meal next time they wanted to dine here.

Edward had been rather taken aback at this sort of recognition and Mustang had stood beside her, his arm pressing lightly against her shoulder. She had taken confidence from that small touch and had smiled and had managed to charm Victor quite nicely. Mustang had hidden his smile and had then led her out of the restaurant with a hand at her elbow. They had sat in the back of the car and as it drove away, they had both burst out laughing.

"Does that happen often?" She had asked in amazement.

"Sometimes." He had replied and watched her smile in the dim light.

The car had stopped at the dormitories and she had laughed when Mustang told her he would see her to the door.

"Why would you want to do that, Mustang? You can see the door from here." She had smiled and shook her head as she had left the car. "See you tomorrow." She had waved to the driver and she had felt him watch her all the way to the door. She had turned and waved again, laughing before she opened the door and vanished into the building.

She flicked through another folder and looked at the clock. She frowned lightly. Mustang was running late this morning. She wondered why.

* * *

Roy Mustang did not sleep well. He woke up very early with a sandy, gritty eye and his hair a spiky mess from all his tossing and turning. He threw his pillow across the bed as he sat up and swung his legs around.

It had been a lovely evening. It had gone remarkably well. He would even call it the best evening out he had in years. Which was true, as it was the only evening out he had had in years. Edward had been a delightful dinner companion. She had talked, she had listened and she had even joked with him. There had been none of the awkwardness he recalled from the attempts he had assayed after his recovery. He had thought he would be out of practice with his social skills but he hadn't even needed them. The evening had flowed smoothly.

Because it was just a dinner. That's all it had been. Just dinner. So why had he had the urge to walk her to her door and why had he wanted to ask her out again. And why had she worn a long black dress in his dreams of their next dinner? With her hair down?

He fell backwards on the bed. He had never questioned his sanity or his sexuality before and now he was questioning them both. He was thinking of Edward as a date not as a dinner partner. It would be insane to ask Edward out on a _date_. That would be suicidal but he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since he had left her at the dorms last night.

All the way home he had been considering it. Another dinner with Edward. Maybe at a different restaurant and a show either before or after the meal. It had only been when he had slipped into bed that he had realised that what he was planning was a proper date, not just a dinner. That's when he had questioned his sanity for the first time. He questioned it again shortly afterwards when he realised he couldn't stop thinking about it.

And at three in the morning as he had rolled over yet again, it had dawned on him that perhaps his sexuality was questionable as well. He had been thinking of Edward. Female, golden eyed, slender. That long river of golden hair, the braid he remembered pulling, the warmth of her body against his, the contrast between her automail and flesh arms when he had held them this morning as she had been letting out her confusion… over… her… gender. He had buried his head into his pillow and groaned. He had forgotten that Ed saw herself as male. He had forgotten that Edward had been male. How the hell had he forgotten that?

He wasn't so shallow as to see only the attractive female Edward now was, was he? He had enjoyed teasing her, talking with her, just being with her. They weren't signs that he was only there because of how she looked. He had been with women a lot more attractive in the past and he had found his interest waning after mere days and even minutes on one occasion when they had been unable to converse or even share a joke. They had been shallow, he thought. Had he been equally shallow by running through them all and finding nothing that satisfied him? Back then he had considered Riza Hawkeye as the only woman he could foresee himself being with for more than a few months. But even that he realised had been born out of their long friendship and the fact that she knew him better than anyone. He remembered the one time they had gone to dinner, all dressed up and it had been good and companionable and as he had walked her to her door he had been thinking of nothing more than making sure she was safely home. There had been no planning for the next time, no maneuvering to kiss her goodnight. And she had known it too. It had been in her smile as she had closed the door behind her.

But Edward. Edward scared him. He had, he was still planning for another dinner. And Edward had been male. But Edward was going to be female for the rest of her life. It's not like it was an issue here. Was it? He had told her that he saw her as 'Edward' and it was true. He thought of her as 'her'. Edward was female. But Edward had been male. They had known each other for years, he had watched the boy grow up, he had seen her return and he had seen them both as Edward.

Now as he sighed and stared at the ceiling he wondered. Which Edward was he intending on seeing? The inner male Edward, or the outer female Edward? If Edward didn't know which she was, how was he to know which Edward he was attracted to?

Roy Mustang sat up and shivered. Attracted to? He had not just thought that, had he?

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was still completely lost in thought as he entered the car later that morning. His driver handed him a slip of paper and he looked at it unseeing for most of the trip to Headquarters. It was only as the car went through the gates that he actually read the note. The Fuhrer requesting his presence as soon as he arrived. He frowned slightly, puzzled as to why he was being summoned and then shrugged it off. It would give him more time to compose himself before he had to go to his office and see Edward.

He smiled absently at the driver as he exited the car, much to the driver's amazement. He had never seen the Brigadier-General so spaced out as he appeared this morning. He already had an interesting story to tell at morning tea, now he had more to embellish it with.

* * *

Roy Mustang walked through the hallways, still wondering if he was really attracted to Edward or not. He had not found an answer. As he waited in the room outside the Fuhrer's office, he failed to see the appraising looks from the secretary as she wondered why the Brigadier-General hadn't even smiled at her as he usually did.

Even the Fuhrer noticed the slightly unfocused look in the dark eye as Mustang entered and saluted.

"Sit down, Mustang." The Fuhrer waved his hand to the chair in front of his desk. He waited until Roy had taken his seat and slid a folder across his desk.

"As you know the Passing Out Parade and Ball is in two weeks."

Mustang nodded, taking the folder and tried hard to concentrate on what the Fuhrer was saying and not on wondering if Edward was in the office yet or not.

"General Lin was in charge of the order of the parade but due to an unfortunate injury, he is going to be unable to complete the preparations. I would like you to take charge of the rest of the arrangements. I have been told that everything has been organized, but someone has to appear to be in charge." The Fuhrer watched as Mustang nodded, an absentminded look appearing in his eyes.

The Fuhrer frowned slightly. He had never seen Mustang this distracted before. He had expected Mustang to protest, especially as it entailed a mandatory public appearance. The Fuhrer knew Mustang hated official functions and had always managed to avoid the Parade and appeared for the briefest possible time at the Ball. That preoccupied look in his eye was spreading across his face. The man was really not here, the Fuhrer thought. I wonder if he has heard anything I have said.

"That's all, Mustang." He said carefully and watched as Mustang blinked before standing up. He pursed his lips and added. "Oh, and do tell Lieutenant-Colonel Elric that I look forward to it."

The blankness that came over Mustang's face surprised him and he saw the dark eye become very focused. Mustang's hand tightened on the folder.

"Looking forward to what, Sir?" He asked cautiously as if afraid of the answer.

"To opening the Ball with her, of course." He smiled and noted the sudden pallor in Mustang's face. "It's all in the folder, Mustang." He added helpfully and watched as Mustang gave a wooden salute and left the office.

Now that was very interesting, Fuhrer Sterben thought as he leant back in his chair. A small smile played around his mouth. He had expected Edward Elric being back in Central to be interesting and it had been so far, but he hadn't expected it to be this interesting.

* * *

Edward Elric was rather startled when Roy Mustang stalked through the outer office clutching a folder in his fists, entered his inner office and slammed the door behind him. Even Havoc looked up. They exchanged a look and Edward stood up.

"Not this time, Boss." Havoc said. "Give him some time to cool down."

"How long will that be, Havoc?" Ed asked curiously.

"A couple of hours at least, judging by the slam."

Ed looked at the door and pursed her lips. "Are you sure…?"

Havoc nodded. "Yep. Someone has done something to tick him off. He'll get over it."

Edward frowned. "I don't know, Havoc. It doesn't feel right just letting him sit in there."

"Edward, trust me. It's happened before, it'll happen again. He just needs some space for a bit."

Edward sat down reluctantly. She stared at the door before picking up another file. She found herself looking at the closed door often over the next few hours.

It was lunchtime before the inner door opened. Mustang came out and handed Havoc some papers.

"See these get delivered please."

He avoided looking at Edward as he went back into his office. She frowned. What was wrong with him? He had seemed fine when he had left last night and she had barely seen him so it couldn't be something she had done. Perhaps it was something to do with his late appearance this morning. She remembered his wanting to run and hide away yesterday, maybe he was just unsettled that he hadn't been able to do that. She knew how easy it was to feel irritable if your inner demons felt they were being ignored.

Perhaps she should leave him alone today. But if he was like this tomorrow, then she would ignore however many closed doors he had and demand some answers.

* * *

Roy was rather grateful for whatever kept Edward from entering his office and demanding explanations. He had expected her to follow him after he had slammed his door earlier. He had half expected her to break it down at various moments during the morning and he had certainly expected her to say something when he had finally appeared.

She had not hesitated to ignore any walls and doors he had closed before so he was surprised that she seemed to have restrained herself today. Tact and diplomacy were not things he usually associated with Edward. In the past he would have suspected ulterior motives in her seeming obedience and silence, but this time he was just grateful and he did not want to think too deeply on it.

He had read the file and it had made his confusion worse. It had been a single and very straightforward page of information within the file. To highlight the fact that a woman had become a State Alchemist it had been decided to have Edward dance with the Fuhrer to open the Ball. Never mind that no-one even knew if Edward could dance, never mind that they hadn't told her about it yet. It had been decided and when Roy Mustang got his gloved hands on the moron who had instigated this idea, he was going to personally see to it that they never had any ideas ever again.

He found his reaction disturbing but it satisfied a hitherto unsuspected vengeful side that he hadn't been aware of before. It also brought him back to the thought that he was attracted to Edward. Denial was not working. It had been a long time but he did remember what attraction felt like and what he was feeling was attraction. Which again made him wonder which Edward. It didn't help that the reason for all his confusion was sitting right outside his office and had no idea of what she was doing to him.

He sighed and placed his head in his hands. It was going to be another sleepless night, he just knew it.

* * *

Edward smiled as Elysia opened the door and wrapped her arms around Ed before she could enter the house. Lifting her up slightly to stand on the tops of her feet, she walked them into the house and grinned at Gracia as she came to greet her. They shared a hug with Elysia snuggled between them before Elysia was shooed away to complete laying the table.

"You will stay for dinner, won't you, Edward?" Gracia asked and then gave her no chance to refuse by hustling her into the kitchen and giving her a spoon and a saucepan to watch over. Edward blinked and found Riza busy with a similar task.

Edward discovered dinner with friends like this was very different to last night's dinner with Mustang. Despite the darkness she could see in Riza's eyes, the conversation was light and went easily. Edward didn't mention the office and Riza didn't ask. She did talk about the plans for the new range and mentioned that she had only had to threaten one idiot, so far.

After dinner they had helped clear and do the dishes and Elysia had gone to bed. Ed sat in a comfortable chair, her legs curled up under her and looking through the pictures from the birthday party. She grinned at quite a few of them especially the one of Mustang covered in snow. She frowned slightly at finding so many with her in them. She hadn't realised how often Mustang had lifted the camera when they had been sitting there.

"…come with you, Edward?" She caught the end of Gracia's question and looked up.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening. Come with me where?" Edward looked a bit confused.

"To choose a dress, Edward. I asked if you would like me to come with you." Gracia repeated.

Edward frowned and looked completely puzzled. "I don't need a dress, Gracia."

"Do you already have one?" Gracia watched as Edward became even more confused.

"I don't have any dresses. Why would I want to go and get one now?"

"For the Ball, Edward." Riza said as she came in with the coffee tray.

"What Ball?" Ed looked from one to the other. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"The Passing Out Ball. It happens every year, Edward."

"Well it's managed so far without me, it can manage another year as well. " Ed remarked rather facetiously.

"It's mandatory Edward. You have to attend." Riza replied as she sat down.

"Hell no!" Edward sat up straight.

"You have no choice Edward. We all have to attend."

"Even Mustang?" Ed asked disbelievingly. She didn't think he would show up to something like that and if he didn't, then she wasn't going to either.

"Yes, even Roy attends." She didn't tell Ed that Roy left as soon as he was able. She knew exactly how Edward would react to that piece of information.

"Why do I need a dress? Isn't the uniform suitable?" Ed asked, frowning as she began thinking of ways to avoid this Ball.

"No Edward. It's a black tie event and everyone dresses up for it." Gracia smiled. "I used to enjoy going to them. Maes would always make a whole evening of it. Dinner first, then the Ball and afterwards a drive somewhere just for the two of us."

Riza and Ed smiled at the softening of Gracia's face and both knew Maes would have done anything to make the whole night special for the one who sat opposite them.

"Is there no way I can get out of this?" Edward asked and was met with two shaking heads. "And the dress?" She asked in a tone of horror.

"It won't be as bad as you think Edward." Gracia said.

"Maybe not for you, Gracia. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to wear those things?" Ed protested.

"Dresses aren't uncomfortable, Edward. You said the same thing about wearing a skirt and you did wear one of those." Riza remarked.

"Like you gave me any choice about the skirt, Riza." Ed almost grinned. "And dresses do feel uncomfortable to me. Maybe you're used to them but I'm not. They're unsettling." Ed didn't quite know how to explain the empty feeling she had had when she had tried them on in Resembool. The sense of bare legs and the feeling of nothing beneath her, the dress not giving her the same feeling of security that trousers did.

Riza and Gracia exchanged a look. It was easy to forget that Edward had once been male. They had briefly talked about it at the birthday party and now they could see that Edward did not see herself as they saw her. And Edward was not going to like having to conform to what everyone expected of her.

"We'll help you with the dress, Edward, and we'll find you something you can feel comfortable in." Gracia said.

"When is this Ball?" Edward asked grudgingly.

"Two weeks." Riza replied and her face darkened slightly. "There's the Parade during the day and the Ball that evening."

"Do I have to go to the Parade as well?" Ed asked, her eyes going wide and an imminent refusal on her tongue.

"I would think so, Edward. It's for the recruits who have completed their twelve weeks of basic training and I think the newest State Alchemists get included." Riza frowned as she thought.

"They do. Elysia and I go to watch every year." Gracia nodded. "Maes says he always remembers Roy having to march with a knot in his bootlace. He said Roy was so nervous he snapped it as he was getting ready."

Ed and Riza laughed. Ed found it hard to imagine a nervous Mustang. She had always seen him as self-assured. She hadn't realised that it had probably taken him time to develop that confidence. She had assumed he had always had it. She knew he used it to cover the demons he had. She wondered what a nervous Mustang would look like.

"We can go shopping on the weekend, Ed." Gracia said and Ed sighed.

"Isn't there any way I can get out of this?" Ed repeated.

"None whatsoever." Riza said.

"You don't have to sound so smug about it, Riza." Ed groused.

"You'll get used to it, Edward." Gracia smiled.

"I am getting really tired of hearing that." Ed said slowly, her eyes dropping to the forgotten pictures in her hands. "Everyone seems to think that I will get used to it, that if they tell me it often enough it will happen."

"Edward, I didn't mean…" Gracia began but Ed looked up and her eyes were older than Gracia had ever seen them look.

"It's ok, Gracia. I know you didn't mean anything by it. And I know that everyone else only says it because they care. But I can't just accept that I'm going to get used to something simply because people tell me I will." Ed paused and looked at them both. "How long are all these things going to keep coming at me, expecting me to know what to do rather than just 'getting used to it'?"

"Edward, the Ball will be easy. You turn up, you dance and mingle and then you go home. There's nothing difficult about it." Riza explained.

"Dance? I can't dance!" Ed drove her fingers into her hair. "And I do not mingle." Ed said in tones of deep loathing, remembering all too well having to do that on the other side of the Gate. She had found it hard to remain polite and calm. Alfons had always been much better at it.

"We'll teach you." Gracia said. "You're making it complicated, Edward. Let's keep it simple."

Edward looked at her, a curious expression in her eyes. She thought for a moment. "Maes used to say that, didn't he?" It was more statement than question and Gracia nodded.

"Yes. He believed he could solve anything if he could simplify it enough." A wry grin crossed Ed's face as she listened to Gracia's reply. "How did you know, Edward?"

"Mustang said something very similar yesterday. It just clicked. He picked it up from Maes." Edward looked down at the pictures in her hand. Mustang stared back up at her. She sighed. "Everyone seems to handle this better than I do."

Gracia laughed softly. "There's no rush for this, Edward. Of course it will take time and of course you're going to be confused, but you _will_ figure it out and you _will_ always be the Edward we know and love regardless."

"Maybe things are coming at you a bit fast Edward, but you've always managed to handle this sort of pressure before." Riza said.

"Back then I had reasons and a purpose. All this Ball and dress stuff seems too … frivolous." Ed grimaced as she waved her hand around. "There's no purpose to any of this and yet it seems to be in my face every time I turn around."

She stood up, the pictures still in her hands and paced the room. "Being called 'Ma'am' at work and 'Madam' at the restaurant, Al's wedding and now this Ball and stuff."

"What about the wedding, Edward?" Riza asked curiously. "Al wouldn't get married without you at his side."

"I don't get to stand at his side, Riza. I get to stand at Winry's side." Ed said and felt herself shake slightly. "I do understand their reasonings and I know country people are very traditional when it comes to these things, but really me, as a bridesmaid? It's really pushing the friendship here."

The silence warned her and Edward looked up to see the strain on both their faces. She threw her hands up in the air.

"Oh for fuck's sake... Just laugh already before you burst!" Edward stalked around the room. "At least you had the decency to try and hold back." She grumbled, recalling Mustang's much more immediate reaction.

"I'm sorry, Ed. But your face, it was just so funny." Gracia explained between laughing. Riza nodded in agreement, her eyes clear for the first time this evening.

"So I've been told." It was strange that she hadn't felt the same anger at their laughter as she had at Mustang. Was she getting used to the idea? After all, it's not like she wasn't going to be at the wedding at all. And unless they actually chained her to the spot she would probably move to stand beside Al anyway. No matter what anyone said. What had he said last night? That only she could define what things were to her. Just because she would be there as a bridesmaid didn't mean she couldn't redefine it to suit her. She grinned. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Who has Al chosen to be Best man?" Riza asked.

"Mustang." Ed said as she went back to her chair. "I've already told him that if he screws it up I will have his heart on a platter."

She curled up and looked at them both. "Oh, and Al said Winry would probably invite you to be a bridesmaid too, Riza." Riza's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"That's not funny, Edward."

"It's not meant to be." And she smiled at her. "I think Schieska will get asked as well."

"I think I'm a bit too old to a bridesmaid, Ed." Riza said around a soft groan.

"Why?" Ed asked. "I didn't know there was an age limit on these things."

"There's not, Edward." Gracia remarked. "And I don't see why you would think that, Riza."

"Oh come on Gracia. I'm thirty, I'm hardly bridesmaid material." There was an undercurrent of bitterness in her voice that both Ed and Gracia picked up on.

"This is because of Jean, isn't it?" Edward asked and failed to see the warning look Gracia gave her.

"No, Edward. He has nothing to do with it." And Riza's lips tightened and even Ed could sense the lie in her words.

"Then why do you think you're not suitable for this? I'm probably more unsuitable than you are." Edward replied and wondered if she should call Riza on the lie.

"I'm just not, Edward. Let's leave it there." Riza said firmly and almost glared at Edward.

"No." Edward shook her head. "I can't leave it there, Riza. I don't care if you think you're unsuitable or not. If Al and Winry decide they want you there, then I will make sure you will be there."

"Are you threatening me, Edward?" Riza asked, rather stunned at Ed's forcefulness.

"No, I'm making you a promise. I can threaten Mustang, I wouldn't threaten you. But I will not let anything upset Al's day, Riza." The golden eyes were resolute and Riza could see the determination and knew Ed would do exactly as she said. There was still nothing more important in this world to her than Al's happiness.

Gracia was watching with interest. Riza had been staying here and had never once spoken about what had happened between her and Jean. The shadows in her eyes had told her of the sleepless nights and hurt she was keeping bottled up inside. Edward had been tactful so far, Gracia thought although she had gone close to mentioning it just now.

"Things may change between now and then, Edward." Riza said carefully.

"I know, but if they still want you there, then you will be there." Ed stated calmly and firmly. Then she turned to Gracia and missed the scowl that appeared on Riza's face. "What else am I going to need to know about this whole Ball thing?"

"I think that's pretty much it, Edward." Gracia said and saw Riza sigh out of the corner of her eye. "I'm assuming that you two will attend together?"

Edward shrugged and looked at Riza. "How do you normally attend it?" And then bit her tongue as the colour faded from Riza's face. Idiot Edward, she thought to herself and then decided to hell with it.

"So you and Jean won't have this fixed before then?" Edward asked.

"Edward." Gracia warned in a low voice as Riza sat up straight in her chair.

"It's none of your business, Edward." Riza said at the same time.

"Since when, Riza? You and Jean are my friends. Is saying nothing helping you or him? It certainly doesn't help me." Ed replied. "You should know that people, that I want to help."

"I do know that, Edward. It's just that it's painful to talk about and I'd rather not." Riza said with a tightly controlled manner.

"Because you're scared." Edward said bluntly and ignored the glare she received. "I just don't understand why you and Jean can't work things out like Al and Winry did. What is there to be scared about if you love each other?"

"I am not scared, Edward." Riza stood up and stared hard into the puzzled golden eyes. "The problem here is not fear and it's not love either. You have never been in a relationship Edward, things are not as simple as we would like sometimes."

"Why does my inexperience become such a liability here? I don't have to have been in one to know that you are not happy and neither is Jean. What will happen when you come back to the office next week? Will you ignore each other or pretend nothing is wrong? Because if it doesn't get fixed, I will be applying for a transfer out of there."

"Don't be silly, Edward. Neither of us are going to let our personal differences affect our work."

"It already has, Riza. Breda, Fuery and Falman won't come into the office. Jean rarely talks, won't eat and just oozes anguish all over the place. I hate being in there and I've only been back two days."

"You are exaggerating, Edward." Riza said, struggling to remain calm in the face of Edward's statement.

"I'm not. I wish I was." Ed sighed. "Can't you two at least talk to each other?" She almost pleaded.

"You don't understand, Edward." Riza sighed.

"Of course I don't understand, Riza. You haven't told me what the problem is. How am I supposed to know if you don't talk about it? How can Gracia and I help if you keep it all locked up inside? You're almost like Mustang, with the need to hide away from everyone." Edward tugged at her hair and looked at Riza. "How can you even help yourself if you don't talk?"

Gracia watched silently. Edward was not backing down. She was using everything she could think of and not letting Riza escape. And it was working. By not hiding herself, Edward was making it impossible for Riza to hide.

"I know it was you and Al that sent Mustang to the library that night. You can do things like that for me, but I'm not allowed to help you?"

"It's not the same." Riza said dully.

"How is it not the same? We weren't talking to each other. You're not talking to each other."

"Jean and I have… had a relationship. You and Roy don't."

"We have a friendship. Isn't that a valid relationship?"

"You didn't hear the man you love threaten to withhold commitment in a childish squabble! You didn't hear him finding yet another reason why he won't ask me to marry him! You haven't been waiting for what seems like forever for him to stop being insecure about us!" Riza burst out. She stood in front of Edward. "Jean Havoc is the one man who has always seen me for _me_ and it frustrates me that he won't see himself for the brave, strong man that he is. That I see him as. He hesitates, he doubts himself, he doesn't think himself _worthy_."

She paced around in a small circle and then glared at them both. "Jean took a long time to ask me out and then another long time before he asked me to move in with him. His damned insecurity makes him want to be sure of anything before he asks. And it frustrates me, but I love him and I accept that he needs to work his way through it. But to hear him use a bet as a way to cover that insecurity was just too much!"

"He said he didn't mean it." Edward said, looking a bit taken aback at the strength of Riza's outburst.

"I know he didn't mean it. Jean would never put our relationship into a bet. But that's not the point. It's the fact that once again, he's finding something to hide behind. I am tired of him being insecure about us, about me. I want him to make a decision without worrying over how unworthy he is. I want him to stand up and make his stand and to hell with what anyone else thinks!"

"And how does leaving him sinking into a pile of pure misery make him do that?" Ed asked and was chilled by the sound of Riza's reply.

"If our relationship means anything to him… If I mean anything to him, then he will find a way, Edward. Because if he doesn't, then I will be the one transferring out of there."

* * *

"It was a nice try, Edward. But they will have to work it out on their own." Gracia said as they stood on the front porch. "At least she was talking about it and that's a start. And you can't tell any of this to Jean either."

Ed sighed. "Yeah, I'd kinda figured that bit out." She tugged the greatcoat around her. "I doubt he would hear me anyway. But it would be nice if they could patch it all up before this Ball."

"Yes, that would be nice. Riza had chosen the loveliest dress for the occasion."

"Don't remind me." Ed grumbled and gave Gracia a quick hug before she headed down the path to the taxi.

* * *

"Edward!" Roy Mustang called for the second time after his first shout of 'Fullmetal' had gone answered.

Ed blinked out of her daze and found his face right in front of hers. "Wha..?"

"My office. Now." He said abruptly and she stood up to follow him, rolling her eyes at his back. She had been trying to figure out ways to get Jean to grow a spine or at least to ask Riza to the Ball. It had been harder than she thought especially as she knew she couldn't tell Jean anything about what Riza had told her. Keeping confidences and secrets was something Edward understood very well. Her mind strayed and returned to the problem as she stood in front of Mustang's desk.

"Edward!" Mustang's voice broke through her thoughts again and she looked at him. "Read this." He passed over a single sheet of paper and watched as she began to read.

Another sleepless night had resolved little for him. Yes, he was attracted to Edward Elric. Yes, he found her attractive and intelligent. Yes, he knew there was a male Edward in there. No, he wasn't attracted to other men. Yes, he wanted to take Edward out on a proper date. Yes, he had no idea how to go about asking and no, he had no idea how Edward would react.

She had her hair in the high tail today and he wanted to slide his fingers through it. He wanted to see her with her hair up and he wanted to see it down again. He wanted to argue about alchemy and he wanted to just sit and watch her read, like she was doing now. He was a mess and he knew it. Attraction had never bitten him so hard before. Four years abstinence had really taken its toll, he thought.

"You can't be serious, Mustang?" Ed nearly shouted as she reached the end of the page. "Me? Dance with the Fuhrer?" She threw the page at him and slammed her hands down on his desk, leaning forward.

"Why would I want to dance with another man?"

* * *

Author's Note: It was so hard to get Edward to this point…she threw me when she went to dinner like that… but we got here, eventually …lol … I'm sorry, there is a lot of dialogue in here and there's more in the next, with lots of questions from both of them …

Thank you once again for all the reviews and comments... I'm running out of words to describe how grateful I am and how awesomely awesome you all are.

silken :)


	17. Curious Attractions

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Curious Attractions  
**

Roy Mustang felt himself dipped in ice as Edward leant across his desk, her words ringing in his ears. It was what he should have expected her to say. It was what he had expected her to say. He just couldn't believe that she had said it. It went straight through every argument, every doubt, every damned thought he had been tormenting himself with over the last two nights.

"It is a command and an order. You will open the Ball with the Fuhrer." He said in a frozen voice as he tried to close off every emotion he could find.

"I told you, Mustang, I will not dance with another man." Edward glared at him, hearing the chill in his words but ignoring it. He should know by now that she was not going to be intimidated by him.

"Then perhaps you should consider it as not dancing with another man, but dancing with the Fuhrer." Roy said as calmly as he could as he met the glaring eyes across his desk.

"What the difference does that make?" Edward asked. "He's male, and I am too."

"I have spent the last few days well aware of your being male Edward, but this is an occasion when you just have to accept things are the way they are." Roy kept his voice level as his stomach turned slightly.

"It's all this bloody gender stuff again." Edward paced around and tugged at her tail. "I am really getting tired of this."

"You're not the only one." Roy muttered to himself.

"I won't do it." Ed stated as she came to a stop back in front of his desk.

"You don't have a choice."

"I am not going to do it. I am not going to the Ball." Edward said firmly and her eyes flashed brightly.

"You will go, Edward. If I have to drag you there by your damned hair." Roy said as his temper surged. "This is an official command not only from your Commanding Officer but one from the Fuhrer himself. You will attend, you will dance and you will do it with a god-damned smile on your face!"

He stood up and stepped slowly around his desk to stand right in front of her. Her head tipped back to look up into his face. Her eyes were as stubborn as he had ever seen them and she was not going to let herself become intimidated by his closeness or the sudden burst of authority he was displaying. He stared down at her and his face hardened as he regained his self-control and and he could finally close off the pain for a moment.

"I am not going to the Ball." She stared up at him defiantly.

"I will not repeat myself, Lieutenant-Colonel. You have been given your orders and you will carry them out. Your personal preferences and objections have been duly noted but are deemed irrelevant to this matter. Therefore you are now dismissed, Fullmetal." His voice was cold and empty and his eye stared back at her.

She could see no trace of the friendship she had seen the other night, all of the humour and fun had disappeared and she was looking straight at the Ice General she had heard about. He had locked everything away and she felt a twinge inside at the thought of him doing that, especially with her. Not after all they had shared during the last few weeks.

"You can not be serious here, Mustang." She said. "You know how I feel about all of this."

"It is irrelevant, Fullmetal. You are dismissed." He turned and began to walk back to his desk. She reached out and caught his arm. He stopped but he did not turn to face her.

"Let go, Lieutenant-Colonel." He did not ask and her hand dropped away. She wanted to rant and shout at him, she wanted to grab him and shake him like she had done the other day. She had thought he had understood what she was going through. He had offered to help. They were friends.

He felt her hand leave his arm and he went behind his desk. He looked at her, keeping a rigid control over his face. She was still there, staring at where he had been standing. As he watched, he saw the pain cross her face and then it went blank. She did not meet his eyes as she saluted and walked from the room, closing the door behind her.

Roy looked at paper still sitting on his desk. He saw the pain on her face again. He felt the imprint of her hand on his arm. His façade cracked and he sat down heavily. What have I done? Oh God what have I done?

* * *

Edward Elric left the office. She ignored Havoc and walked straight through the outer door. She didn't know where she was going but she was going there. With every step her confusion and her anger grew. He had to be the most insensitive, arrogant, cold-hearted, self-serving person she knew.

He had called her 'irrelevant'. He had ignored her concerns and turned his back on any form of understanding. So much for his talk of friendship. And she had believed him. She had actually thought they had become friends. Hadn't she said as much to Riza last night? She had begun to think that she could say anything to him. Showed how wrong she had been, she thought as she strode down another hallway.

It was a betrayal. He had betrayed her. She trusted… no, she had trusted him and he had thrown it back at her by locking her out and closing down like that. She had seen him do it when she had worn the skirt and she had called him on it. But this felt different. This was more personal. This time he had done it to her.

So why was she storming away and not back there in his office trying to break down that wall again? Because she didn't understand why he had reacted like that? She hadn't known last time either, but that hadn't stopped her. Because it really hurt this time? It hadn't hurt like this last time. Why was she hurting anyway? Nothing Mustang had done before had hurt her like this.

She threw her hands up in the air. The whole situation was confusing and he was being an absolute bastard and there was no way she was going to follow any of those orders. She would not go to the Ball, she was damned if she was going to dance with the Fuhrer to open that Ball. She'd sooner dance with Mustang than do that and that was never going to happen either. It was ludicrous and stupid. Just because she was female on the outside. If she ever found the idiot who had organized this, she was going to make damned sure they never had another idea…ever.

* * *

Roy Mustang stared at his closed door. His hands were trembling and he placed them flat on his desk. His eye closed and his breath eased out ever so slowly. That had not gone well. For either of them.

He opened his eye and stared at his hands. He had known Edward for how long now? Too long. He had known she would see this from her inner male perspective. It was the one reason why he had been terrified of how she would react when he asked her out for a proper date. But seeing it made real had chilled him. It had made his plans seem futile and impossible.

He had thought they were friends. He had thought she would be professional and mature about the reasons for this display and understand that he too was merely following orders. She had shown her maturity at other times, why hadn't this been one of them? Because it was because she was outwardly female?

If there was one subject that Edward was guaranteed to react to now, it was anything to do with her gender. But he had seen her ignore and even accept it, albeit reluctantly, and she had become almost comfortable with it towards the end of their dinner. So why had this single event upset her?

And why had he closed himself down? Because her words had hurt. Because now he knew how she would react. What good was attraction if you knew the one you wanted was not even going to see you as anything but 'another man.' I get dragged out of my comfortable little world by a bright, golden-eyed blonde and her attitude is going to send me straight back into it, he thought.

Except it wasn't working. The minute he lifted his hands, they began to shake. His icy façade was just that, a façade, and he scowled at his traitorous hands. If only they didn't shake. Then he could pretend for a bit longer. Pretend that he wasn't upset with her reaction, he could pretend that perhaps he wasn't attracted to her. But he couldn't. She had even taken the power of denial from him. Because no matter what had just happened between them, despite Edward's reaction, he was still attracted to her, he still wanted to take her out.

* * *

Two hours later he was still sitting there. The shaking had stopped but his thoughts hadn't. His head was starting to ache from all the circles his mind kept going in.

When the phone rang, he stared at it and he wondered if he could ignore it. He sighed as he picked up the receiver.

"Mustang." He spoke deliberately and reluctantly.

"_Roy? Are you ok? You sound a bit strange."_

"Gracia." He smiled. "No, I'm fine. It's just been a bit… challenging here this morning."

"_Ahh, I understand." _ And Roy knew she did indeed understand. _"I hope I'm not disturbing you but I have a quick favour to ask you."_

Roy's eyebrow rose. Gracia rarely rang and even less would she ask for anything. She never wanted to feel like she was imposing on them. It had taken them a few years to convince her not to be so reluctant. That they needed to help her otherwise they felt that they were letting Maes down.

"Anything, Gracia. You know that." He smiled again. He could just see her eyes light up at his response. For all they did, she still never took any of them for granted.

"_Could you call by this weekend and help us teach Edward to dance?"_

Sometimes, Roy Mustang thought, there was indeed a Hell and it was following him around.

"_Roy? Roy? Are you still there?"_ He heard Gracia's voice as if from a long way away.

"You want me to help you teach Edward to dance?" He repeated in a voice that sounded nothing like his normal tones.

"_Yes."_ There was a pause. _"Roy, are you sure you're alright? You don't sound well at all."_

"Gracia, I… I'm not sure that would be such a good idea." He said very hesitantly.

"_Why not, Roy? You two haven't been fighting again have you? What did you do this time Roy?"_ He could hear her light scolding voice and almost smiled. _"It's just that I know that Edward sees you as a friend, and with you understanding her gender confusion, I thought you'd be ideal."_

Roy swallowed hard.

"Gracia, I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't."

"_Roy?"_ Now Gracia sounded hesitant and he could almost hear her thinking. _"Will you tell me why you can't?"_ Roy took a deep breath. There was too much of Maes echoing in her words. He would have asked the same question. And Roy had never really been able to deny Maes or Gracia an answer.

"We have had a … disagreement over the Ball." He said abruptly. "I would be the wrong person at the moment."

"_Oh Roy." _He could hear her shaking her head. _"Edward never holds grudges for long. I'm sure it'll all be settled by the weekend so we will look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Make it later in the afternoon and you can stay for dinner too." _ There was a smile in her words and as if she knew he was going to say more, she hung up.

He was glad she hadn't sensed the full depth of his shock at her invitation. He stared at the phone. To help teach Edward to dance? He didn't think Edward would remain in the same room as him for the next month, let alone by Saturday. Maybe their normal squabbles were over and forgotten in mere hours, but Roy just knew this one was not one of their normal spats.

He wondered if he should talk to Edward to let her know, to warn her of what Gracia had planned. He couldn't even begin to know how she would react this time. If she even saw past the 'dancing with another man' image, which in this case would be him. It would be rejection, unknowing and careless rejection. It was going to hurt.

He stood up and walked to his door, putting on his Ice General façade. He was not going to show any signs that he was anything other than completely calm and in control. As he opened the door, his mask nearly slipped as he realised something. If Gracia was planning dancing lessons, then it meant that Edward could not dance. How much of her reaction this morning had been because of that?

He pulled the door open, his mind churning over that new thought and looked out to see only Havoc in the outer office.

"Where is Edward?" He asked.

"She left." Havoc replied.

* * *

Edward Elric found something to hit and she stripped off her short jacket and butt skirt to take a lot of her anger out on the innocent punching bag that hung in one of the exercise rooms of the gym complex.

At first her movements were rough and ragged as her thoughts would get the better of her but after a while she found her mind slipping into an empty calmness and her body began to move smoothly in the old well-remembered ways. Without Al at her side, she was going to have to find someone to spar with. Teacher would come back and haunt her forever if Edward slacked off now she was back.

Edward swung her leg around and heard the satisfying thump as it hit the bag. Swing again and swivel and hit it with a heel. Sway slightly and bring an arm up to block as the other thrust sharply to smack the bag. It swung again and she swiveled to kick it again.

She let her mind wander as she kept moving, seamlessly shifting from one attack to the next. Her eyes darkened as she thought of the Ball. She didn't have anything against the Fuhrer. She quite liked him and had enjoyed lunch with him. So what if she had barely seen him since and she hadn't taken up his offer to work in his office. And she knew that offer was still open. And she was almost sure she would enjoy talking with him again, even if it was at this Ball.

But they were putting her on display and she hated that. And they were putting her there in the name of something she didn't feel she was. And it was only because of that, that she had been placed in this position. She did not want to dance with the Fuhrer. No matter what she looked like, no matter how female they saw her as, she did not feel female.

She eased off the intensity of her movements and began the simple routines which formed the basis of all attacks.

It was okay for Mustang to tell her to define what it meant to her, but no-one was giving her time to do that. They were all making these assumptions on her behalf and it was really starting to annoy her. And Mustang… that damned man was doing it too. He was supposed to be on her side in this but it seemed he was seeing the same things everyone else was. It was … disappointing. Edward frowned.

She stopped moving and stared at the swinging bag. Why did it feel wrong to be disappointed in him?

"Have you finished now?" A voice said from behind her and she turned around to see a tall, well built Captain with dark hair and green eyes. For the split second before she turned, she thought it was Mustang coming to find her and her stomach dropped as she realised it wasn't him.

"Guess so." She said absently, shrugging as she wondered about that sinking feeling and she walked over to collect her belongings. The room had filled slightly since she had come in and maybe half a dozen others were in the process of exercising.

"You move quite well." He said as he watched. Edward heard the implied 'but not as good as me' in his voice and rolled her eyes as she picked up the butt-skirt.

"We should spar some day." He went on and she turned to look at him. He looked confident and she flicked a quick look at the bag. It would be good to have a proper workout with something that could hit back.

"Sounds good." Ed said casually.

"How about now?" He asked, his eyes raking her slender form. In the trousers and close fitting short sleeved skivvy, Ed looked like a beautiful and easy target. The arm would require watching as even a light hit from automail could do damage. He had watched her working out and had seen the basic kicks and blocks and strikes she had been using. They had been smooth but he hadn't seen her do anything else, so he figured he would have an easy time and be able to impress her with his skill. He had been sparring in here for years and had never lost a match. The other soldiers had stopped betting on the outcome of these bouts and instead the bets dealt with skills and times.

The blonde looked at him. She smiled slightly and her golden eyes narrowed as she appraised him and he waited for the look of admiration to appear. It didn't and he frowned as he slipped his short jacket off and removed his butt-skirt.

She rolled her shoulders as she stepped easily to the centre of the room. She watched him follow her and noted the smooth gait. Good, he looked like he knew what he was doing. She did not want an easy session. He hadn't introduced himself and she had seen the almost arrogant self-confidence. He reminded her slightly of Mustang. Taller of course and the attitude she recalled from four years ago. Her lips curled slightly. This might be fun after all.

It took two minutes for him to realise he was completely outclassed. It took thirty minutes for news to spread that a blonde female Lieutenant-Colonel had broken Captain Stewart's unbreakable winning streak.

* * *

When Edward entered her dorm, she was physically relaxed, the tension gone from her body, but her mind was still inclining to return to its angry state. She probably should return to the office, she thought, but she really did not want to see Mustang again today or even tomorrow. She wondered if there was any excuse she could use to not return there for the rest of the week.

The man was quite simply impossible. She didn't remember him being this irritating before. There had been an understanding back then between them. A very basic understanding of you against me with rules and boundaries they had both been aware of. But now it was as if all the rules and boundaries had been rewritten and she had no idea what the new ones were.

She had thought they had reached an understanding, a friendship but this morning he had walked all over it and simply ignored everything she had said. He had never been that insensitive before.

She paced around the room. She needed Al here. It wasn't fair that he wasn't here. She needed him to rant to. Al with his solid wisdom and singular innocence had always managed to make her see some sense, eventually. She was tempted to ring him up but didn't think she should have this conversation anywhere near a public area.

She stared at the chair by her desk and tilted her head. She walked over to it and clapped and transformed it into a replica of Al's armour. If she couldn't actually have Al here, then she would make do.

She circled around the flimsy armour and grinned at it and then her grin faded. Maybe it was a stupid idea after all. Maybe she was just kidding herself. No replica was going to help. Al was miles away and she had to start to learn to stand on her own feet. She was the one with the problem, she had to find a way to solve it.

Mustang had said to simplify things. She groaned and tugged at her hair. She didn't need to be reminded of him. She could simplify it without thinking of him. Couldn't she?

Simple then. She did not want to dance with another man at the Ball.

"_But Sister, they don't see you as being male anymore." _It was strange how she could suddenly hear Al's little voice in her head. She looked at the replica.

"I know that Al." She muttered, pacing around again.

"_So why is it a problem?"_

Because I'm still male inside, Brother. You know that."

"_It doesn't stop me from seeing you as female too."_

"That just sounds so weird, Al." Edward frowned slightly. But Al had a point, he had told her before that he saw her as both his brother and his sister, sharing the one place. Ed had understood even though she still only saw the outside as female, the rest of her, the inside where _he_ was, was all male.

Perhaps that was the problem. Male Ed behaved as male Ed had always behaved. Open mouth first and think later. _He_ didn't want to dance with another man, even if it was the Fuhrer. _He _had thought Mustang would've understood this. _He_ had accused Mustang of seeing only the outer female Edward and Mustang had frozen up.

"_You know you're an idiot, Sister, don't you?"_

"Shut up Alphonse." Edward said automatically, and then she paused. "Why am I an idiot this time?"

"_The Brigadier-General was only passing the orders that he had received on to you. He didn't organize this himself."_

Edward stopped in her pacing. She had forgotten that. Those orders were not his orders. He was just handing them to her because he was her commanding officer and as such was responsible for her. Who else would they have gotten to tell her? No-one. If someone else had told her this, would she have let herself react like she had done with him? Probably not. Because if anyone else had given her those orders, the first person she would have gone to would have been him. So why had she let fly at Mustang? Because he had said he understood, because he had said they were friends. Because she had trusted him.

And his sudden closing down had made her doubt him and herself and she had made matters worse by laying down her absolute refusal. And he had come back with his clear and cold command. Only once had he seemed close to being the human Mustang she had been thinking him, when he had threatened to drag her there by her hair. That had been what she had expected at the start, none of this close up and freeze. It had to have been her refusal to dance with the Fuhrer that had set him off.

"_The Brigadier-General might not have the ambitions he once had, Sister, but insubordination on your part will not look good on his record. He did so much for us when we were younger."_

Edward sighed. Yes, he had helped with leads, mostly useless ones, and he had used them to sort out little problems that had helped bring him attention and consideration from higher up the chains of command. And he had helped them by keeping Al's condition a secret and had kept the military off their backs so they could search for the Stone. But that was years ago now and it didn't count in this matter, did it?

She hadn't thought of it as an official act of insubordination before. But it was. She had been looking at it as just one their spats but this one had ramifications unlike any of the others. Because it was dancing with _the Fuhrer._ She scowled at the replica armour. I think I hate you Brother, she thought. Then she stopped. If this had been her real brother, he would have dragged her back to Mustang's office by now and she would be spitting out a reluctant apology while he stood behind her.

"_... And besides aren't you supposed to obey commands from a superior officer? Otherwise, why did you re-enlist?"_

Edward clapped and placed it on the wooden replica and transformed it back into the chair. She slumped into the other chair and put her head in her hands.That little voice had nailed it. Al would have said exactly that, had he been here. He would've said a lot more than that. Her conscience might want to pretend to be Al to make her listen better but facts were facts.

She was going to have to dance with the Fuhrer. Because if she didn't, she was going to let Mustang down and she was going to let herself down too.

* * *

"Left? What do you mean she left?" Roy repeated and stared at Havoc.

"She came straight out of your office and left, Chief." Havoc looked a bit surprised at Mustang's reaction. "She didn't look too happy."

Mustang shrugged that aside. He knew she hadn't been happy, but Edward Elric didn't _leave_. Edward Elric stayed and fought these things out. She didn't _run._ No matter how bad the argument had been. She had never just left before. She was the only person who had ever faced him down without dangerous weapons to back her up. The thought of Edward _leaving_ made his stomach churn and he frowned. Where would she have gone?

Four years ago he knew she would have taken Al and they would have gone and sparred and Edward would have ranted to her heart's content. But she didn't have Al here anymore and there was no-one else he knew that she would go to, unless… there was Gracia.

He ducked back into his office and picked up the phone and paused. Would Edward really go running to Gracia? Edward wouldn't even be thinking yet. He knew her; she'd need a while before she could think coherently, which was why sparring with Al had always worked so well. Even then, would Ed even think to go to Gracia? She had always relied on herself and Al, they had never wanted or seen a need to ask others for help. And they had always been very reluctant to accept it, when it was offered.

Roy put the phone down. No, Ed would try and work this out herself. And unless things had changed, without Al here she would probably tie herself up in mental knots for the next week while she did it. An angry and confused Edward was not wanted in his office. He groaned softly. Who was he kidding? He was going to find her and offer to help and he was going to try and make her see that he had as little choice in this as she had.

But that didn't solve his other problem. How was he ever going to ask her out now?

And where the hell was she?

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang left his office and went looking for his missing subordinate. Havoc watched with a dropped jaw as he strode out of the office. Mustang frowned as he walked. He had never put himself out for anyone like this before. This was one very bad case of attraction.

The frown was good. It discouraged anyone from talking to him and most people stepped aside and let him walk through. It was not a systematic search, although he tried to pretend it was. He walked through the research areas before moving into the gym area. He failed to hear the story of the blonde Lieutenant-Colonel because no-one dared approach him. His frown had been getting progressively darker as he failed to find her and now people were taking a step back and then moving away from him as he passed by. The mess was next and he stood in the doorway and scanned the room. No blonde head. Edward had been known to comfort eat before but it didn't look like she had resorted to that this time. He strode through the mess and out, the library next on his list.

Edward was there, standing in front of the statue.

He walked over and stood beside her. He looked down at her and saw the pensive expression on her face as her eyes stayed fixed on the large form of her brother. They stood there in silence for a long moment.

"Edward." "Mustang."

They spoke at the same time and exchanged a startled glance before they looked back at the statue again.

"I hope that wasn't an apology you were about to say." Edward said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"No. But I will take that under advisement for a later occasion." He replied. He heard her sigh and the golden head looked down.

"There are things I feel I should be saying, but I just can't seem to say them." There was a little bit of frustration in her voice, as if she regretted having to say anything at all.

"Are they important things?" He asked curiously and he could see her scowl.

"Probably."

"Then unless you have a _burning_ desire to continue this conversation here, I suggest we return to my office."

She looked up at him as his emphasis and noted a few soldiers passing and she remembered the first time they had stood here. She rolled her eyes.

"As if being on public display ever bothered you." She said without thinking and then he saw her eyes darken as she remembered the upcoming public display someone had organized for her.

"Come on Edward. My office." And he turned to walk away. She sighed and followed.

* * *

Both of them half wished the walk back had taken longer. They re-entered the office, neither feeling completely ready for their discussion. They walked into the inner office and Edward closed the door behind her as Mustang took his place behind his desk.

She looked at him and he could see the same reluctance he felt on her face.

"No pulling rank here." She stated, trying to delay having to say anything.

"No. No hitting." He replied, also trying to delay the inevitable.

"No gloves." She said as her stomach turned. She really did not want to do this.

"No clapping." He said as he steeled himself for the words he just knew she was going to say.

"No…dammit, no more delaying!" She exclaimed and she tugged hard at her tail. "Fine, I'll do it." She blurted out.

"Do what?" He asked as his mind went completely blank. Do what? He repeated to himself. Come out with me? Dance with me at Gracia's?

"Dance with the Fuhrer." Edward said, her face flushing and her eyes looking everywhere but at him. She almost cringed as she waited for his reaction. This was going to be so humiliating. After refusing so emphatically, to be here only hours later with a changed mind, was something he was never going to let her forget.

Roy Mustang stared at the blonde in complete shock. This was not Edward Elric. This could not be the same one who had stood here this morning and categorically refused to have anything to do with the Ball. He had never known Edward to change her mind so suddenly before, not on something that had upset her to the extent this one had. What had made Ed change her mind? Why had she changed it?

The silence dragged at Edward and she finally looked at Mustang, wondering why he hadn't said anything and found him staring at her. He looked stunned and Edward frowned at him. She had not expected this reaction. It was almost unnatural. She stared back at him.

"Why?" He asked suddenly and she blinked.

"Because it would be letting you down." She said and she watched him blink.

"And that matters to you?" He asked. It was very hard to keep his voice even. He had to swallow hard at the thought that she would change her mind because of him.

"Yes." His heart jumped at the single word then it fell as she continued. "You did so much for me and Al years back and you're still helping us and me now." She looked away. "It's not fair of me to refuse to do this when you're just passing on orders and I shouldn't have said what I said earlier." She rushed the words out and he could see the pale blush that dusted her cheeks.

His spirits rose again. Was that a proper blush and not the embarrassed flush he had ignored earlier? He went over her words. It almost sounded like she was apologizing. His eyebrow rose and he noticed she was still avoiding looking at him. This was not like the Edward he remembered. The one who would stare him right in the eye, even when apologizing, and manage to make it sound as if everything had been Mustang's fault in the first place.

"Edward?" He asked softly before he could stop himself.

"What?" She snapped back. This was not going anything like she had planned and it was making her strangely nervous and unsettled. Why wasn't he reacting the way he always did? Although when she thought about it, he had been acting strange a few times now. Not doing what she expected, being different when they were together. She paced around the office and he watched bemused.

"Are you alright, Edward?"

She stood still and turned to look at him. She was frowning but her eyes were confused.

"No, I'm not alright. I am more confused now than I was before. You are not acting like you should. Hell, I'm not acting like I should and it's annoying the hell out of me. I had things to say, all lined up as to why I had changed my mind and for some reason, they don't seem to matter now." She almost glared at him. "It's your fault. You're not reacting like you usually do."

"People do change, Edward." He remarked.

"But it doesn't make sense." Edward argued.

"Who said it had to make sense, Edward? Perhaps you should…"

"Do not tell me to simplify it again, Mustang!"

"I was going to say that perhaps you should say that the subject is now done with, forget it and move on to something else."

She threw her hands up in the air and began pacing again. He could see her lips moving but she wasn't speaking loud enough for him to hear yet. Give her a few moments, he thought and whatever she's working herself up to say might even be coherent.

It was a strange thing he thought as he watched her. He was finding her confusion enjoyable. To see her floundering in an almost embarrassed way and then to see the frustration. He could watch this for hours, he thought. The way she expressed what she felt, the way she could shift from withholding everything to spilling it all out minutes later. She was the most mercurial person he had ever known and the change of gender seemed to have given her an added dimension.

Her long tail was almost as lively as she was as she paced around and it shimmered in a golden river. The uniform blue did suit the colour of her hair, he thought. She was quite fluid as she walked around, graceful even. Having no automail leg now must make it much easier on her. He remembered how often Edward had tried to conceal the limp on days when the pain was bad. Especially during the winter months. With the ease of movement she had now, dancing shouldn't be a problem at all for her. He stopped.

"I have to teach you to dance." The words left his mouth and he blinked as he realised he had just spoken aloud.

Edward stopped in mid-stride and wavered before she put both feet on the floor. Her eyes were wide and it was hard to tell who was more shocked at the words.

He stared at her, watching her face go pale and waited. He just knew it this time. She was going to go straight into a ranting refusal equal too, if not better than, the one from the morning.

"Why?" Was all she said and he was so surprised he answered automatically.

"Gracia told me to." He saw her flinch slightly and wondered at that. "She rang after you left." She stayed silent, her face going whiter by the second and she looked away from him and down to the floor at her feet. "I tried to refuse, but Gracia gave me no chance."

"Why did you try to refuse?" Her voice was rough and she was frowning.

"Edward, I knew how you felt about dancing." He didn't add 'with other men' but it was there and he could hear it echo in his ears and judging from the way her shoulders hunched, she heard it too.

There was a long silence and Edward kept her eyes on the floor. Roy could not even begin to guess what she was thinking this time.

"I don't feel well." She said abruptly. "I'll be back in tomorrow." She started to walk to the door and Roy stood up and taking a step towards her.

"Edward?" He queried. She turned and her face was still very pale and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Don't, Mustang. Not now. I'll be in tomorrow." She reiterated and left the room quickly.

He stared at the door. Now what the hell had happened there?

* * *

Edward stared at the calendar in her hand and she even had to check physically. It was not her cycle time, so why was she swinging from one mood to the next? No-one had ever said anything about hormonal swings at any time other than at cycle time.

She just did not understand how one man could affect her in so many ways in less than half a day. It shouldn't even be possible.

Okay, so maybe he hadn't started it, and after he had gotten rid of his Ice General side, he had been almost friendly again. But that was after she had spent a couple of hours trying to understand everything. And she had been going to tell him she understood the whole following orders thing and that maybe she had overreacted and she had been intending to have words about his trying to close her out like that and why had it hurt when he had done that? And then he had done it again.

It had been the strangest feeling when he had suddenly said that he would teach her to dance. She had expected the instantaneous reaction she had had earlier. That initial revulsion and anger, but it hadn't happened. Her stomach had jumped to her throat and she had felt the blood draining from her face. And then he had said Gracia had told him to and her stomach had fallen faster than her blood had.

Edward crawled into her bed fully clothed and pulled the blankets over her head. There was something going on here and she didn't know what it was. She swallowed hard. Why was everything just feeling so difficult? How did you simplify feelings into words that you could relate to when you didn't understand any of it?

"I hate that man" she muttered and pulled the blankets off her head.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She shouted at the ceiling.

* * *

Havoc looked up as Mustang came out of his office. He watched as the dark eye stared at Edward's empty desk.

"She's gone again." He said.

"I know." Mustang sighed. "My fault, I think." He added whimsically.

"It's always our fault." Havoc said and Mustang looked at him. He was pale and his eyes had dark circles around them.

"You should really go home, Jean. You look sick."

"I'm fine." He looked defiantly at Mustang. "Besides, there's no-one else here anymore."

Mustang walked around and sat in Edward's chair and looked at his subordinate and friend. "If you weren't here, the others would come back." He said bluntly.

Clear blue eyes, despite the shadows stared back him. "I know, but I don't want to be home alone, and I don't have anywhere else to be."

"Have you tried talking to Riza?"

"She won't accept my calls." He sighed. "Sometimes I feel like going round there and just dragging her out and shouting at her until she listens."

"Why don't you?" Mustang asked with real curiousity. He had never really given Riza and Jean's relationship a lot of thought before now. He had been pleased for them in his distant fashion and had completely ignored the dynamics of it all. It didn't affect the way his office worked so he never really thought about it.

"I can't do that to her!"

"She's not going to shoot you, Jean."

"I know that. But Riza's not going to appreciate anyone who barges in like that. She's so strong, I'm not about to look like I'm trying to be stronger than she is."

Mustang rolled his eye. "None of us are as strong as she is, but that's beside the point. You love her, she loves you. Go over there and make her see that. It has nothing to do with strength."

"I can't. What if she doesn't love me back as much as I love her? I thought she did, but then all this blew up and now I just don't know anymore."

"You're scared." Mustang stated.

"Of course I'm scared! After years of being in your shadow I finally get the woman of my dreams, the _only_ one for me, and I finally start to see myself as something other than second-best or last resort and she leaves! Why should I not be scared?" Havoc's eyes blazed and he slapped his hand on the desk.

"Why aren't you telling all this to her?" Mustang sat back and raised an eyebrow.

"Because I'm scared, Roy!" Havoc almost shouted and Roy blinked. Havoc rarely used his given name. Even after all these years he was more comfortable using 'Chief' than 'Roy'.

"I think you should tell her that too." Roy said.

"Oh great. Advice from you, who hasn't had a date in four years and who managed to upset the only female around here twice in one morning. Yes, I can see that helping me." Havoc said, trying to lighten up slightly. It had felt good to say these things out loud to someone else, but there was no way he could ever see himself telling Riza he was scared.

Roy straightened in the chair. "That was not my fault!" He protested.

"It didn't look like anyone else's, Chief." Havoc retorted.

"Edward just didn't like some orders I had to give her, that's all." He muttered defensively.

"Was that the first or second time?" Havoc asked, diverted slightly by the confused and almost guilty look in Mustang's eye.

"First." He replied reluctantly.

"And the second?" Havoc lifted his eyebrows at the almost sulky tone.

"Dancing lessons." He almost growled the response out as he wondered why the hell he was telling any of this to Jean.

"Why would the Boss need dancing lessons?" Havoc asked in surprise.

"She has to dance with The Fuhrer at this year's Ball." Roy sighed. "And Gracia roped me in to help teach her."

Havoc laughed. It was the first laugh Roy had heard in his office in over a week. It wasn't a good laugh, it was rough and unused, but it was a laugh, despite the couple of coughs Havoc gave at the end.

"No wonder she wasn't happy."

"I could always get you to do it." He threatened and Havoc shook his head firmly.

"No way, Chief." Havoc frowned. "Ed is actually going to appear at the Ball?"

"Yes. Like the rest of us."

"I don't want to go this year." Havoc murmured.

Roy snorted. "I never want to go."

"This year I was going to ask Riza to marry me."

* * *

Edward appeared in the office next morning looking slightly pale but calm. The shadows were deeper around Havoc's eyes but he seemed more resigned to things. Roy looked at them both as he entered and dreaded to think of the impression any visitors would get if they came in here.

Roy and Ed stepped carefully around each other. They were polite and there were little flashes of spirit and teasing but mostly they watched each other. Edward was still trying to figure out why he was affecting her and wondering how the dancing lessons on Saturday were going to go. Roy was trying to determine how she felt about dancing with him and wondering why she hadn't reacted the way he had expected her to. He wondered if he should ask her out and then decided he would wait until after Saturday.

Havoc watched them both. He wasn't quite sure what was going on between them but there were strange vibes in the office and he knew they weren't all coming from him. He noticed a few things. Sometimes Mustang would smile for no reason. Ed would occasionally lift and tilt her head as if listening and when she heard the rustling of files or the squeak of a chair from the inner office, she would go back to working. Mustang came out of his office to give his completed files to her, he didn't wait for them to be collected. She never called him 'bastard'. He always called her 'Edward.'

* * *

Saturday started out pleasantly enough. Ed left the dorms and headed over to Gracia's house. She had objected when Gracia had sent her a message asking her to be there by ten.

"_Why does it have to be so early, Gracia? We're only going to look for one dress." Edward had gone and rung Gracia up to protest._

"_Edward, it takes time to find the perfect dress. And we can have lunch out and make a day of it. Wear comfortable shoes." And Gracia had hung up leaving Edward staring at the receiver._

Comfortable shoes she had, as well as her jeans and black t-shirt beneath her blue coat. Al would have complained she knew, but Gracia had made this sound like a full-scale operation, so Ed intended to be as comfortable as she could.

Elysia jumped on Ed as soon as she appeared and Edward relaxed in the warmth of the girl's enthusiasm. Elysia was going to a friend's house for the day, but they promised to bring her back something and they all left with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Riza and Gracia watched Ed as they entered the first shop. She looked around at all the dresses and racks and her eyes stayed uninterested. Unlike others in the store, who browsed the racks and fingered the different fabrics, Edward just stood there.

"What do you think of this one, Edward?" Gracia asked. Edward looked at the long dark green thing she was holding up and shrugged.

"It's green?" Edward said questioningly.

Riza and Gracia exchanged looks. This was going to be harder than they had thought. It took them fifteen minutes to persuade Edward to go into the cubicle and try the green thing on. The last time Edward had tried on a dress had been in Resembool, not in a four by four foot box with thin walls and door.

They bundled her into the cubicle and both said "Change" as they stood outside the door.

Changing meant undressing and Edward was not comfortable at all about this. It was awkward in the small space and she found her elbows kept banging against the walls, which didn't hurt when it was the right one. There was a small hook on the wall and a small ledge where she could put her jeans and shirt and she struggled to get into the dress.

"This thing is impossible" She muttered.

"No it's not, Ed. Stop complaining." Riza's amused voice came through the door.

"How long is this damned zipper thing anyway? Ouch!"

"Edward. What are you doing in there?" Gracia asked.

"My hair got caught. Damned thing." Edward tugged her hair free of the zipper and pushed the door open still trying to straighten the dress. Riza and Gracia stared at her.

The gown was a simple design with a high waistline that fell in straight lines over the curves of her hips to the floor. The rounded neckline was not too low but allowed a glimpse of cleavage and showed her lightly tanned skin. The three quarter sleeves covered her automail shoulder and with gloves it wouldn't be seen. The deep forest green shade of the soft material suited her.

Gracia had picked it out because of the sleeve length and the simplicity of it because she knew Edward was not going to want anything too fancy. She hadn't expected Edward to suddenly look so beautiful. She had seen Edward in her casual clothes and known she was an attractive woman, but this creature in front of her was more than attractive and judging by Riza's silence she was seeing it too.

"Okay? Can we go now?" Edward asked as she looked at them slightly askance at their silence.

"No, Edward. You need to try on some more."

"But this fits and it's almost comfortable." She said as she rolled her shoulders and arched her back slightly.

"Edward, it does look really nice on you. But you never buy the first dress you try on. You have to look and compare and then decide." Gracia explained gently as Edward's eyes went wide.

It took them an hour to finish with that shop and Edward looked shell-shocked when they left with nothing and went straight to another shop. Dress after dress. More green ones, some in blue, one in red, black ones and one in something called aubergine. Edward got lost in a maze of terminologies. Half sleeves, three quarter lengths, empire waists, satin, velvet, drop waists.

And when they did finally find the correct, proper and "absolutely perfect dress", to quote the assistant, she became lost again as they decided she needed a complete range of lingerie, shoes and accessories to match.

But they fed her before they began on that part of the shopping.

* * *

Edward died at four o'clock that afternoon when they dragged her back to look at a couple of the earlier dresses and convinced her she needed to have them as well. She considered alchemizing a hole in the changing cubicle wall and making a run for it. She wondered if she laid down here, if she would ever get up again. She decided that, much as she liked Riza and Gracia, they were really demons and determined to torture her to death by shopping.

Ed was absolutely exhausted when they finally returned home and collapsed into the chair with a long sigh. Elysia jumped onto her.

"Show me! Show me!" She demanded and Edward lifted an eyebrow at the demon child's demon mother.

"She's not serious?"

Gracia smiled and nodded. "She is. Fashion parade time, Edward." Edward groaned and struggled out of the chair and began to put on all the clothes she had already tried on today.

It was worse now, she thought. Now they wanted her to match shoes to dresses, to wear the gloves, to hold her hair up this way and then that way. Edward started to get irritable. She had been good all day, she had not lost her temper once, she had put up with all this femaleness and she had even managed to smile. But now it began to get to her. She needed to get out. She needed to get away from here, and especially Elysia, so she could curse and swear and hit something without offending little ears.

She started to fidget as Gracia adjusted the hem length on one of the dresses.

"Stay still, Ed. Nearly done."

"Hurry up." Edward snapped and instantly regretted her sharpness as Riza shot her a look and Gracia stared at her with wide eyes.

"Edward…"

"Gracia, I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore today. I need to get out of this damned dress, I need to get back to being me."

"But this is you too, Ed."

"No, it's not Gracia. Not completely. If it wasn't compulsory, we wouldn't be doing this in the first place." Edward stepped down from the low stool. She was wearing the first dress they had tried on and had gone back to buy. "It's taken all day and I just feel that most of what we did was pointless. Look, we even went back and got this dress. Why didn't we just buy this one and go home?"

"Because that is not your ball dress, the other one is definitely better. And because whether you like it or not Edward, you are female and you need more than one dress." Riza said.

Ed tugged at her hair and it fell loose as the knot on the tie gave way. "I'm only female on the outside, Riza." She said in frustration. "All this … this is freaking me out and I need to get away from it all for awhile." She paced around the room. "How can I find my own way in this if everyone won't give me the space I need to figure it out?"

"We are trying to help you, Ed." Gracia said from where she remained kneeling on the floor.

"I know you are, Gracia and it's not that I'm not grateful… it's just that I need it to stop now. I need, dammit I need something to hit!" Ed said, her frustration becoming obvious.

"I am not volunteering for that." They all turned around. Roy Mustang stood in the doorway with Elysia in his arms and a bemused smile on his face.

Gracia smiled and stood up and walked across to welcome him. Riza also smiled and Edward just sighed. Great, now she had to do the dancing thing. When was she going to get a chance to go back to being just Edward again today?

"I asked Roy here to help teach you how to dance, Edward." Gracia began. "But I can understand if you don't want to do it after all we dragged you through today." The blue in the green eyes became darker and Edward kicked herself at seeing the hurt and indecision in her voice. She knew her little rant had put it there. She hadn't told Gracia that Mustang had already told her about it.

"Gracia, I…"

"I'm sure Edward doesn't mind, Gracia. It might not be the same as hitting me, but I'm sure the opportunity to tread on my toes is something she couldn't possibly refuse." Roy said and lifted his eyebrow as he looked at Edward. He was stunned by the vision she made in the dark green with her golden hair loose. _She_ was stunning. The way the dress hung and accentuated the slender curves. He could feel his fingers twitch as her hair swung around her as she turned to face him.

"Only if I can wear my boots." Edward retorted before she could think.

"Heels, Edward. Trust me, heels are much better." Riza interjected. Gracia and Riza laughed lightly as Roy theatrically groaned and Edward smiled at that even as she tried to work out Riza's remark.

"The black shoes, I think." Riza remarked and pulled out the appropriate bag. "Sit, Edward," she directed her to the chair and gave her the bag.

"Don't I need to get changed first?" Edward asked as she pulled the shoes out.

"No, Edward. You're going to need to know how it feels to dance in a dress." Gracia said as she opened up the phonograph and carefully pulled out several discs.

Edward rolled her eyes and put the shoes on. A three inch heel gave her height but the angle made her feel wobbly and she stood up carefully.

"Why are we doing this now anyway?"

"So you can't change your mind, Edward." Roy said as he suddenly appeared in front of her. He was wearing black slacks and a casual long sleeved shirt of dark blue. He was rolling his sleeves up as he stood there.

The shoes brought the top of her head to about level with his nose and she didn't have to look up so far. It was strange to be this tall. She could see a bit of concern in his eye and knew he was aware of how much she had wanted to get out of this. He had obviously heard the end of her rant and he had stepped in before she could hurt Gracia's feelings more than she already had.

Riza and Elysia moved the furniture until they had a nice open space in which move and then sat on one of the couches to watch and critique. Gracia placed the first disc on the spindle.

"Are you ready?"

"No." Edward muttered and Roy flashed her a quick grin.

"Almost, Gracia." He looked at Ed, took a deep breath and lifted his hands. "Okay Edward, place your right hand in my left." He watched as she put her hand in his and he closed his fingers lightly over the automail. "Put your left hand on my shoulder." He waited and she did that. He placed his right hand at the side of her waist and he felt the muscles twitch even though she didn't move.

"This is the starting position. Try not to look at your feet. Either look straight ahead or at me. Okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded. "Okay so far, Mustang."

"Right. Now when the music starts and I move, you have to follow me." He looked over at Gracia and nodded and the she placed the needle carefully down. The music started and Roy stepped forward with his left foot.

Edward was slow to step back. "You could have told me which foot you were moving first, Mustang!" She glared at him and he laughed.

"We'll try it again then and now you'll know which foot moves first."

They started again.

"Right foot back, left back, right forward up to left," he said as he moved and she tried to follow. "No, your right foot Edward!"

Gracia gave up on the music ten minutes later and went to sit with Riza and her daughter. Edward and Roy kept stopping and starting. Roy resorted to counting the steps in a loud voice whenever Edward forgot which foot to move. Edward discovered that Riza's comment about heels being better than boots was highly accurate.

It took them half an hour before they finally managed to perform a basic waltz movement without a mistake. Edward smiled up at him as she counted off the last step in her head.

"Let's do it again and then we'll try a turn." Roy said as he smiled back.

They went through it again and again and Roy began teaching her the turning steps. They didn't realise that the others had left the room to prepare dinner. Roy found himself enjoying this immensely. He had envisaged every possible reaction Edward could have demonstrated to these lessons, but this had not been one of them. Not holding her like this and seeing the golden hair flowing with the dress as she moved with him. There was a good six inches between them but he could feel the warmth of her. While it felt strange to have metal fingers in his left hand, it was decidedly nicer to feel warm flesh at her waist as his right hand curved around her. Occasionally she would look up at him but mostly she kept her gaze on his chin. He smiled, now this was the Edward he wanted to take out.

Edward knew there was something wrong with her. If she hadn't already checked earlier in the week she would have gone to check again. Dancing with another man was not like she had thought it would be. Dancing with Mustang was nothing like she had thought it would be. It was unnatural to be this close to him and to feel this comfortable and secure. That word frightened her slightly. She had never thought of Mustang as a safe place before. His hand at her waist was warm and she could feel the warmth from him as they moved around the room. It was strange to see him out of uniform. She remembered the casual clothes he had worn to the party but they didn't seem to have been as striking as the dark blue was now. Every time she looked up at him he was staring at her. He was smiling, a proper true friendly smile but there was a strange glint in his eye. She didn't feel threatened by it, but it wasn't something she could define either.

As he guided her through the last steps, she looked up and caught his eye on her again. The gleam was brighter than before and she couldn't look away. She had always thought his eyes had been black but that single eye had to be closer to midnight blue and she could almost see her own reflection in it. How could one eye convey so much, she wondered. Roy looked into her eyes. He had always known how bright they were but seeing them this close made them appear a deeper more warmer gold.

The sound of clapping made them blink and they realised they had come to a stop and were just standing there, staring at each other. Elysia bounded up to them smiling and clapping again.

"Dinner's ready. Mummy says to come and eat!"

Edward slowly dragged her hand from Roy's and turned to look at Elysia, her eyes slightly hazy. Roy reluctantly let his hand slip from her waist and he saw her blink at the lost contact. Roy watched Edward blink slowly again, shaking her head and making that hair shift across her back and smile at Elysia as she regained her senses.

"Lead us to it." She said and she took Elysia's hand and was led away. Roy followed slowly, trying to understand why, as they had stood there, he had had the nearly uncontrollable urge to kiss her.

* * *

After dinner, Gracia and Riza insisted on them practicing some more. Edward was more confident now and Roy didn't have to guide her as much and when the music was added, Edward managed to keep to the correct pacing and steps.

Edward felt a restraint in Mustang that she hadn't noticed earlier but ignored it as she found herself becoming accustomed to the feel of his hand at her waist. It seemed to fit there and she wondered why that was. She had noticed it during dinner, she had been able to feel the lingering warmth from his hand.

Roy tried hard not to let his thoughts wander as he held her again. It was too easy to think of closing the gap between them and just holding her and then maybe lifting her chin and then…no, not now Roy, he told himself. This was the worst case of attraction he had ever felt. Having her this close and unable to get closer was a torment he just knew was going to keep him awake tonight. And to know what she looked like in his arms with her hair down. He didn't think he was going to get any sleep for a week. He was going to have to ask her out. Maybe then half this attraction would vanish. Because it was possible that he was only feeling so overwhelmed by her because there were so many obstacles in the way.

It didn't help his resolve when Gracia asked him to take Edward home to save them calling a taxi.

* * *

Roy drove slowly and carefully to the dorms. He only drove on the weekends, the military insisting he have a car and driver supplied for work purposes only. Due to his eye he rarely drove so he was always careful and gave all his attention to the road. But this time he had Edward to distract him as she sat in the front with him, leaning her chin on her palm and staring out the side window.

There were several bags on the back seat as Gracia and Riza had suggested she leave some of the things at Gracia's. Which was good, as she didn't think everything they had made her get would fit in her small wardrobe. She sighed. The day had been long and the evening short. She would have preferred it the other way around.

"You okay, Edward?" Mustang's voice broke into her thoughts. He had heard her sigh and had heard tiredness in it.

"Just a long day, Mustang."

"Yes, I've heard that about shopping." He said lightly.

"You don't know the half of it." Ed shuddered. "It's an absolute nightmare."

Roy smiled. "That bad, huh?" He commented and kept his eye on the road.

"Worse. We had to go to every shop at least twice. Have you ever been into those little cubicles? How do people get into them with more than outfit? I saw one woman trying to squeeze in there with half the shop on her arm! The walls are too thin, I nearly put my automail through it more than once. I swear, each shop had a different sizing system, I nearly alchemised half of them to fit but apparently that was all wrong and some idiot thought my arm was a 'nice accessory' and tried to get me into some silver coloured… thing. Even Winry has better taste than he does." Edward turned away from the window and drew one leg up under her. She stared at his profile as she kept on talking, her hands waving around occasionally.

"Everything has different names as well. It wasn't red, it was crimson, it wasn't blue, it was aquamarine. It wasn't even a dress, it was a _gown_. How on earth do women do this? Working out arrays and calculating formulae is easier than the things they know. They have colour charts in their heads! They can tell who designed something from twenty feet away. They can pick a fake at ten! And they care so much about it all! The woman in one shop was most upset when I told her I didn't care if the stockings had lace or not. You'd have thought I told her that her cat had died, or her kids or something. Hell, now that was a shop I won't be going back to for a while. All the different ways to do the same thing. I mean stockings are stockings, right? So who cares if you have single garter or a belt or the elasticated top? I mean they all do the same thing, right? It was the same thing for gloves. You'd think that they'd all be the same as well, but some had lace and fancy embroidery and the materials were all different. Shoes were just as bad. Thank you Al for the leg, it was bad enough at the glove place with this arm, but to have still had the leg would have been worse."

"Edward." Roy tried to interrupt again and she blinked at him as she realised she wasn't looking at his profile anymore. "We're here, Edward." He smiled. "You can stop talking now."

She turned her head and saw the dormitory building and flushed. She had ranted all the way home. He must think her really stupid now. She turned back as she heard his car door open and he walked around the car as she opened hers. He opened the back door and began to collect the bags from the seat.

She took some from him and he carried the rest as they walked to the doors. He transferred the rest to her hands and smiled again as she stood there. "Can you manage them all?" He asked and she nodded.

She scuffed her feet slightly and her head ducked down. "Thanks." She muttered and his eyebrow rose.

"For what, Edward?" He asked.

"For teaching me to dance." She muttered.

He laughed softly and lifted her chin with his fingers. "The pleasure was all mine." He said gently. The light above the door was dim and Roy could see her eyes staring at him and his fingers tightened on her chin.

"Thank you for letting me teach you." He smiled at her and let go of her chin, absently sliding the back of his fingers along the side of her face. She quivered.

"Good night Edward." He said quietly as he turned to go back to the car.

"Good night Mustang." She replied and he heard it in her voice and he knew she was unaware of it.

Curiousity.

* * *

As soon as she disappeared into the building Roy put his head against the steering wheel and let his breath out. Then he leant right back in the seat and felt his hands tighten on the wheel.

He had come so close to kissing her. So damned close. He had been a foot away, if that. He could've kissed her. And she would have… she would have… what? What would she have done? Probably beaten him half to death and then asked why he had done that. Everything was all questions with Edward at the moment. And that curiousity he had heard in her voice was going to make it worse.

She had quivered at his touch. He had felt it earlier when he first put his hand at her waist but didn't know if she had been aware of it. But she had been very aware of his touch just a moment ago. Would Edward try and deny that reaction or would she puzzle over it? Would she remember the time at the train station or the practical or even that time in his office when he had first held her chin like that?

Curiousity. It was the first step. Would she be curious enough to want to know more or not? He was going to ask her out. Now that she was curious, would she be more inclined to accept? After the Ball, he would do it. Get Edward through that and then he would ask. He nodded, yes, see how she went this week and then ask.

He began to drive home and his lips curled as he remembered her going on earlier about the shopping. She has certainly come alive there.

"I wonder what stockings she ended up with." He said aloud and nearly hit a tree as he realised what he had just said.

* * *

Edward lay in her bed and looked up at the ceiling. He had touched her and she felt it all the way to her toes. She had never felt his touch affect her like that before. She had shivered when he had pulled her up at the station that time, but it was nothing like the tingling that had shot through her tonight.

And why had it been that touch and not earlier when they had been dancing? She could still feel where his hand had rested at her waist. Maybe it had been the look in his eye that had made the difference. It had been a similar look to what she had seen just before dinner. A look of intent. It had seemed very hard to move away from him and she had felt a strange reluctance to let go. She had felt him still looking at her as she had left the room.

Edward sighed. She was missing something here. She could feel it. There was something she should know, something she should understand, but she just couldn't place it. She could ask, but then wondered if that was the right thing to do. And besides, could she walk up to Mustang and say 'explain why you made me quiver'? Somehow she didn't think that would work. He'd think she had two heads or something.

Roy Mustang was fast becoming a problem. She had mood swings around him, he could say and do things that hurt and she could ignore them, almost forgiving him for them without even thinking about it. He could set off her temper with a single word, he could calm her down with a single look. And now he made her quiver from a single touch.

She rolled over and pulled the pillow over her head.

I really hate that man.

* * *

Author's Note: So many swings and roundabouts, it got hard to keep track of it all. I'm hoping they've calmed down now and will be more sensible to each other for awhile.

And I realise they probably didn't have elasticated thigh high stockings back then, but they are so much easier than the belted ones, I brought them forward a few decades...lol

Thank you again and again and again for all the support and comments for this story. I think I finally ran out of ways to say thank you, and all that's left is thank you, thank you.

silken :)


	18. The Week Before

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Week Before**

Edward Elric stuck her fork into the scrambled eggs and watched it remain upright as she let go. She sighed and the fork didn't move. She put her right elbow on the table, rested her chin on her gloved palm and poked at the fork with her left forefinger. The fork still didn't move. Her breath puffed out.

"I see the eggs are pretty solid today." Ralke said as he slid his tray onto the table.

"You'd think that with so few ingredients, it would be the easiest thing to make, but no. I think we need an alchemist in this kitchen." Ed poked at her fork again.

"Are you going to eat that?"

"No, I think I'll let it evolve on its own."

Ralke watched her pull the fork from the eggs and begin on the bacon.

"You could just clap and fix it, you know." Ralke said.

"Yes, but then everyone would want that." Edward replied absently.

"Are you ok, Ed? You seem a bit spacey today. Bad weekend?" Ralke asked.

They had met at breakfast occasionally over the last week. Edward was always here early and Ralke came a bit later after the very early morning exercise regime he had set up for himself. Edward had found she preferred to exercise in the evening and had slipped off to the gym after leaving the office a few times for sparring. Since she had fought with Captain Stewart she had had several offers for bouts from other soldiers.

"Not bad, just confusing I guess." She said thoughtfully then she shook her head. "No, it was fine, Ralke. How was yours?"

"Good." He smiled widely. "My parents arrived and I spent most of my time with them."

"That's great. How long are they here for?"

"For a week. They've come for the Parade." He smiled again and his hazel eyes gleamed. They had been so proud of him when he had passed the exam and they had insisted on making the long trip to see him. He hadn't been this long away from them or his home before and he was feeling slightly overwhelmed by their pride in his achievement.

"What's the Parade like, Ed?" Ralke asked.

Ed laughed. "I have no idea, Ralke. I was off on my first mission barely a week after I passed the exam. I didn't even know they had such things back then. We didn't have anything like it at Eastern that I recall."

"So you wouldn't know anything about the Ball either would you?" He queried. "Mum has some plans for shopping tonight for the suit I need."

"Well, I got told that you turn up, you dance and you mingle and then you go home. Other than that, I don't want to know." She said in a firm voice and he looked at her.

"Don't you want to go?" He asked in surprise.

"Not really." She looked at him. "Can we not talk about it? I've had more than enough conversation about it the last few days and it would nice not to have to think about it."

"Sure." He shrugged and frowned slightly. "But I thought it was a big event. Everyone seems to be rather excited about it."

"Not everyone." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ralke, I've always disliked these sorts of things. Back then I would leave and get away as far as I could, but they won't let me do that this time."

"What about the Parade then? You'll be in that won't you?"

Ed nodded. "So they said, but I haven't heard any details about it. I might ask Mustang when I get to the office."

"Hey Snowman!" A voice called across the room and Ralke grinned as he looked up. He lifted up an arm and a young man came over to their table.

"Ed, meet Van. He's an alchemist too. The Glass Alchemist, but we call him Sandman."

"Hello Van, nice to meet you." Ed held out her left hand and smiled.

"Whoa, pretty lady!" The bright blue eyes looked her over as he held her hand and then paled slightly at her insignia.

Ralke laughed. "Ed's an alchemist too. You remember her from the practical, don't you?"

"I wasn't that close, Ralke, but I saw what you did." Van smiled and then he frowned. "Wait, that means you're the Fullmetal Alchemist?" His eyes went wide and he stared at her.

Ralke and Ed both laughed as Ed nodded and pulled her hand free.

"Yes, that's me." She raised an eyebrow at Ralke. "And they're calling you Snowman?"

Ralke scrunched his face up. "Yes, from what I did at the practical."

Ed laughed. "But it looked good."

"Now if we can just persuade you to dump snow on…"

"No, Van! I'm not going to…"

Ed grinned as she watched them argue. It looked as if Ralke had really settled in here. When she remembered the shy man they had met at the written, to see him now was like seeing a different person. His parents had a right to be proud of him, she thought.

* * *

The friendly breakfast kept her in a good mood until she got to the office and was faced again with the reason she had spent all day yesterday in the Library. Mustang was already in his office and it was hard to stop herself from standing in the doorway and just staring at him. What was it about him that had made her react to his touch? She could still feel the shiver that had gone through her. It had been completely mystifying and puzzling.

She had spent a large part of that night going over every single time she could recall any physical contact between them, starting from the hand he had placed on her shoulder that very first time she had seen him. She had been a bit startled by the lack of any pressure he had applied in his grip. His hand had just rested there and then he had moved on. His words and her reply had set the tone for their whole relationship and she had chosen to ignore the implied support of that first touch.

She remembered the warmth of him when they had been at the practical and she recalled the pleasant weight of his hand at her waist while they had danced. But none of those touches had made her react like that single brush of his fingers against her face. Even at the station that time. She had shivered, but nothing like this. Why had it happened? What had changed?

She had gone to the Library and tried to research it, but there had been nothing. She hadn't known where to start and she didn't want to ask the staff for help. She felt a bit silly being there and looking for information on something that seemed so illogical. But she had found nothing. The small medical section had not been helpful. Alchemy and medicine mixed very carefully and circumspectly so as to avoid any possible hints of the forbidden human alchemy. And texts on normal human interactions just didn't seem to exist. Edward had left, feeling just as confused and puzzled as she had been when she had arrived.

There had to be a reason for it. Things just didn't happen without some form of cause and effect.

All morning she would suddenly blink and realise she'd been staring out into space again. The files and folders couldn't possibly get any more boring, she thought and was no longer surprised that Mustang always tried to escape his paperwork. The thought of months of this made her frown. She didn't want to spend her time doing this. Surely there were other things she could do?

"Edward!" Mustang's call disrupted her thoughts and she went into his office. He was leaning back in his chair with a folder in his lap propped up against his desk. He was resting his chin on the back of his right hand as he leafed through the papers with his left. Her eyes went straight to his hand as it lightly slid back and forth under his chin as he contemplated a page.

"Let's not start the week off with a fight, Edward." He said in a voice which she thought sounded tired. He slid the paper onto his desk. "That is information regarding the Parade on Saturday."

Edward leant forward and absently picked the page up, her eyes still watching his hand.

"Edward?" His querying voice made her blink and she looked up to see him watching her. She blinked hurriedly and could feel her face heating slightly. She looked down at the page in her hand and tried to read it. Oh great, he had seen her staring and now she was going to get snide remarks. Parade, think Parade. But he had sounded tired. What does that word say? Maybe he hadn't slept well. Something about a rehearsal, was that what it said? Would she quiver again if he touched her again? Wednesday practice march?

"Edward!" Mustang's voice made her jump and she looked up at him and just knew her face had gone red. Damn, she couldn't think straight at all this morning. "Do you understand the arrangements for Wednesday and Friday?"

"Friday?" Edward quickly looked down at the page again and actually read it this time. There was a practice on Wednesday and full dress rehearsal on Friday. "What's the difference?" She asked as she frowned at it.

"Wednesday will be more a making sure everyone knows what to do. Friday will be a complete walkthrough in full formal uniform." There was an emphasis on his last words and Edward looked up.

"And that means?" She asked, knowing she was going to hate what he said next.

"Yes, Edward. That does mean the skirt." Edward heard no teasing in his voice and she frowned slightly. Was he okay? He hadn't made a snide remark and he was staring at her now. He did look a bit tired and she was sure there were shadows around his eye. She wondered what had happened to make him so tired today.

She dragged her eyes away from his face and looked back at the page. It seemed easy enough and nothing too involved and it was something she would never have to do again. She could handle this.

"No problems, Mustang." She said, looking up and caught the surprised expression that crossed his face. "Nothing difficult in here." She held a smile back. He had probably been expecting her to complain. It was nice to know she could still surprise him.

"Good. That's all, Edward." Mustang said and his eye went back to the file in his lap, but not before staring for a brief moment at the side of her face. She felt the weight of his look and shivered before turning abruptly and leaving his office.

She sat at her desk. She still had the paper in her hand and she stared blindly at it. What the hell had that been? He hadn't even touched her that time and she had damned well _shivered_. How the hell was that even possible? All he had done was look at the exact same spot he had touched her on Saturday night. It had been a single look. He hadn't said anything or done anything. He had merely looked and then gone straight to that file. Which hopefully meant he hadn't seen her shiver like that. If he had… she could feel her face grow warm.

Why would it matter if he had seen it? He wouldn't have known it was because of him…would he? She shook her head absently. No, he couldn't know that. He knew her well, but she doubted he would have been able to pick that one.

* * *

Edward looked up idly as the sergeant from Records brought in yet another pile of folders and files. She watched as Havoc accepted them with a resigned uninterested nod and watched as she left the room. At least I don't have to wear the skirt every day like some of them do, Ed thought with relief. She looked over at Havoc's desk and tilted her head.

"What is that, Havoc?"

Before Havoc could reply another sergeant appeared. This one was delivering what seemed to be twice as many files as the Records sergeant had. Havoc again just accepted them and ignored the sergeant completely.

Edward raised an eyebrow. " Two of them? Havoc, what are they?"

"It's lunch." Havoc sighed as he placed the two boxes to one side. "They always do that."

"The sergeants are feeding you?" Edward asked, her voice rising in astonishment and he nodded. "Why?" She asked.

Havoc shrugged. "I don't know. They've been doing it for the last couple of weeks."

"But you don't eat them." Ed remembered the full lunch box she had seen on his desk that first day back.

"I don't like them." Havoc shrugged as he picked up half a dozen folders. "You can have it if you want. I have to take these to research." She watched as he left the office and got up and walked to his desk to examine the lunches.

Well packed boxes with fruit and noodles in one and sandwiches and cake in the other. She sniffed lightly. Slightly spicy noodles and that might be chicken in the sandwich, she thought. There was a slip of paper in one and she looked at it and blinked. It was an offer to cook a dinner if he would like. Edward put the note on Havoc's desk. She knew he wouldn't accept it but she couldn't really throw it away before he'd even seen it.

"What are you doing, Edward?" Mustang's voice came from behind her and she jumped. She turned her head and saw him standing in his doorway. She picked up the first box and held it out to him.

"Lunch?"

He frowned and came over to look. He took the box and looked in it and then he looked over at the other box.

"Two lunches, Edward?" His eyebrow rose and she scowled at him.

"They're Havoc's. The sergeants gave them to him." She explained further and saw Mustang grin. It was such a knowing grin that her eyebrow lifted.

"Care to share, Mustang?" She asked and watched as he made himself comfortable in Havoc's chair with the box on his lap.

"It's a way to get his attention, Edward. Now Jean is no longer with Riza, it's their way of saying 'look at me'."

Edward scrunched her nose up. "That's stupid. Jean and Riza might not be together at the moment, but he'd never look anywhere else." She took the other box and sat at her desk.

"Are you sure of that?" Roy said as he scooped up some noodles, his eye glinting at her.

She paused as she thought about it. Of course she was sure of it. Jean and Riza were meant to be together. Like Al and Winry. It was silly to even question it.

"Of course I'm sure, Mustang." Ed stated firmly as she lifted up the sandwich. "They'll work it out, you'll see." Ed added.

"Not everyone gets happy endings, Edward." Roy said soberly.

"Maybe not, Mustang." Ed said slowly, thinking of Maes and Gracia and her own parents. "But to believe otherwise is to deny the hope that it will work." Edward had spent the last eight years in a continual state of hope. She wasn't about to turn from it now.

They ate in silence. Edward tried to keep her eyes on the food. It would be too easy she thought, to stare at him. As it was, a few times she did have to drag her eyes back as she began to feel herself spacing out slightly. There had to be answers to this somewhere. Maybe she needed to find someone to talk to about this. But not him, not this time.

Havoc returned and Mustang got out of his chair. He perched on the corner of Edward's desk and held up a folded piece of paper.

"Dinner invitations too, Havoc?" He queried with a smile.

Havoc sighed. "Not another one?" He screwed his eyes up at it. "Just toss it."

"Not even going to read it, Jean?" Mustang asked lightly.

"No. I've had enough of them this last week." He ran a hand through his hair. "I really don't want their pity."

"Pity?" Edward asked as she leant slightly to be able to see around Mustang.

"Yes. Ever since… Riza left, they seem to think I can't take care of myself." Havoc grumbled.

"I thought you said it was for the attention, Mustang." Edward accused him and Mustang turned slightly to look at her.

"It is." He smiled at her and she blinked. Why is he smiling like that? When did my desk become so small? He seems very close all of a sudden.

Havoc gave a small laugh. "Nice try, Chief. But trust me, this is all just out of pity." He sighed. "If it was anything else, it would've been something more enticing than just food."

Edward saw Mustang look at her for what felt like a long time before he turned to Havoc. "Food is supposed to be very enticing, Jean." He said.

Edward stared at Mustang's back. Everything he did was affecting her today. What the hell was happening to her? And he seemed as calm and reserved as always. Why was she the one feeling like her skin didn't fit right and he remained unaffected? And he kept looking at her. What was that all about? He didn't seem to be looking for anything specific, it was just looking. She began to wonder if he even knew he was looking. She was missing something. Some piece of information or knowledge and it would all be clear. She could feel it, but she was damned if she knew where to find it.

* * *

By the end of the day, Edward was getting very frustrated. When she reached the gym after leaving the office, she ignored the sparring area and went straight to the punching bag. Tossing her jacket and butt-skirt aside, she unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches at it, her face frowning blankly.

Edward didn't like being this puzzled by anything. It annoyed the hell out of her. Up until now she had known the answers could always be found in books and with research. But this one was not in any book. There didn't seem a way to research it. That left her with one option. Talking to someone. But who?

Not the man who seemed to be the whole cause of the problem. Al would have been ideal but he wasn't here. And Ed wondered if this was really something she wanted to discuss with a male. For all she knew herself to be male on the inside, she was aware that some of the things she had to deal with now were because of her femaleness. If this was one of those things, then she needed a female to talk to. And Riza and Gracia were the only ones she could trust.

But it felt silly to be so worked up over something that was probably something very minor. How did you talk about feelings any way? And why was she nervous about discussing them when she hadn't had a problem talking about other things before?

Because Edward had never really talked about feelings before. She had had goals and a purpose. She had subjugated all her feelings to achieve those goals. To admit to feelings had been hard and she remembered spending most of that night in tears on Gracia's shoulder. To now go and deliberately talk about more feelings terrified her. What if she ended up crying like that again? What if she was just making a fool of herself with something that was perfectly normal?

She thrust forward with her right hand as she literally growled in her frustration and her arm sank elbow deep into the bag.

"Oh shit." She said as she watched the sawdust pour out.

* * *

Havoc rolled over in his bed on Tuesday morning and sighed as he looked at the empty space where Riza should be. He looked up at the ceiling. He was stupid, he was dumb, he was the most worthless man there ever was. He groaned. And he was also the most cowardly one.

Love was supposed to be a strength and a hope. So why was he buried in misery? Because I'm a damned fool, he answered himself. He had let the insecurities overwhelm him again. He thought he had beaten them once and for all after Riza had moved in and they had settled into a nice dream of domestic bliss. But now he realised he had just shut them away and not actually defeated them. And they had returned to bite him right where it hurt. His self-confidence. It had withered away and he was left trying to rebuild it again.

For all his laidback manner, Jean Havoc had always followed the rules. He knew as much as Falman did about the regulations and rules of conduct for military personnel. He had spent months learning them all at the beginning of his enlistment as a means to bolster his confidence. If he knew what the rules were then he knew where he was. He hadn't planned on being seconded to a commanding officer with dreams of a better life for all personnel. He hadn't planned on falling for the sherry-eyed Lieutenant who shot at him on a daily basis.

As he trudged to the office for yet another long day, he began to get angry with himself. Why did he just sit here? Why didn't he go and shout at her? It wasn't all his fault, was it? It took two to make an argument. He had these thoughts every morning and they never lasted because he couldn't keep the momentum going. His spirit would dwindle as the day progressed and by the time he left at the end of the day, the insecurities had conquered him again.

Maybe he should forget going to work and go to Gracia's now. While he was still fired up. But he knew Riza and knew she would have been up and gone to work at least an hour ago. And he didn't want to do this at the range or anywhere else. He knew she had deliberately extended her time on the committee to avoid coming back to the office.

Edward was at her desk when he entered and she was looking spacey again today. There was a disgruntled frown on her face as if she had to do something she didn't want to. He tilted his head and heard paper moving in the other room. The Chief was here too, so he settled at his desk and began on the first of the files that bred overnight on his desk.

He missed the old days of the office. Hell, he missed the office days of three weeks ago. And it was partly his fault, he knew that, that everyone had deserted the place. So much for having Ed back with them and it being just like old times. When Riza ran out of excuses to stay away he didn't know if she would return. And that too would be my fault, he thought.

He moved through the morning like an automaton. He walked folders in and out of Mustang's office. He stamped and initialed and filed. He kept thinking about what he would do if Riza did not come back. He stamped several files twice as his mind kept looping around.

At lunch, more files appeared, accompanied by the lunch boxes. Mustang could say what he liked, Havoc was not impressed or interested by his sudden popularity among the female staff, simply because Riza had left him. He knew it was out of pity. He didn't see the looks that followed him as he moved blindly through the building. If he had seen those looks aimed at Mustang he would have known exactly what they were, but now they were directed at himself and he was too wrapped up in his suffering to see them. Without his former air of desperation he was more appealing. Having been the only man to catch Riza Hawkeye, he became intriguing and now silently suffering, he became desirable. They all wanted to be the one who could heal him, to find out just what Hawkeye had found in him. Jean Havoc had finally become the most sought after man in the military.

Mustang appeared in his office doorway.

"And what is in the lunchboxes today, Havoc?" He asked cheerily.

"You're a mooch, Mustang." Edward said from her desk.

"It's called helping out a friend, Edward." He said mock-sternly and Havoc watched as they stared at each other for a moment, before Mustang picked up the first box. Havoc's eye twitched slightly. Was that a blush on Ed's face?

Mustang held up the second box right in front of Ed. "You were waiting for this too, you know." He said smugly and she did blush as she snatched the box from his hand. Havoc watched as Mustang sat on the corner of Ed's desk, just like he had yesterday.

"So you didn't take up the invite for the home cooked dinner, Jean?" Mustang asked as he examined the lunch.

"Of course not." Havoc replied and picked up a folder as if to say 'leave me alone, I'm busy'. He didn't want to have it discussed any more. Mustang was welcome to the lunches. They both were. But he just didn't see why Mustang had to sit out here instead of returning back to his own desk. It wasn't Mustang's usual style to sit out here and make conversation. The last month or so he had just stood in his doorway to listen and before that he hadn't left his office at all and had shown little or no interest in what was happening around him.

Havoc noticed he wasn't the only one unsettled by Mustang's presence. Edward didn't look too comfortable either. Actually Havoc thought, the Boss looks downright confused. She kept staring at Mustang's back and then frowning before starting to stare again. A couple of times she ran a single finger down the side of her face and her frown always became deeper after that. There was definitely something bothering her and he wondered about it. Whatever it was, Mustang was not helping by being here.

"And do you have your excuse ready for this year, Chief?" Havoc asked, thinking to help Ed by keeping Mustang occupied and letting her sort out whatever it was without him making things worse.

"Not yet." Mustang fidgeted and Edward looked at him in surprise. He never fidgeted.

"What excuse?" Ed asked.

Havoc ignored Mustang's frown and grinned at Edward.

"Every year he makes up an excuse to avoid having to escort this particular person to the Ball."

"Really?" Ed leant forward, her eyes alight with curiousity. "Why?"

"I think that's enough." Mustang began to say, but Havoc spoke over the top of him, forgetting his own misery in the chance to inflict it upon someone else.

"He can't stand her. Neither can anyone else and every year she rings and tries to get him to take her to the Ball." Havoc watched as Mustang shifted uneasily on the desk. "She has a list of certain Generals earmarked for certain events and the Chief is the lucky one chosen for the Ball."

Edward laughed and Mustang glared at her. "It's not funny." He said.

"I think it is." She replied as she grinned at him. Then she stopped. "I thought the Ball was compulsory. How do you get out of it?"

"He doesn't." Havoc said. "His excuse is to get out of escorting her there. Which would mean having to stay all night and escorting her home at the end of the night."

"So you make up something and you leave early?" Ed asked speculatively.

"That doesn't mean you can do the same, Edward." Mustang said.

"I don't see why not, Mustang. I'm only supposed to be there for one dance anyway. If I could leave straight after that…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes became slightly unfocused and she smiled.

"No, Edward." Mustang stated firmly. "You can not get out of it like that."

"But that's what you're planning to do. So why can't I?" She frowned at him.

"Being a Brigadier-General brings many responsibilities and due to the weight of such duties, sometimes it is impossible for us to fulfill all of the social obligations that go with this position." Mustang declaimed.

"What a load of shit, Mustang." Edward stated calmly.

Havoc watched but the expected verbal showdown never happened.

"Maybe so Edward, but not everyone has the skills to see it as 'shit' as you so elegantly phrase it."

"Then they're idiots." She replied, ignoring his light sarcasm.

"Precisely. That is why I will use it as my excuse this year. Along with a sick Aunt, I think."

Havoc frowned. Why weren't they behaving like they always did? Where was the name-calling and insults? Where were the jibes about each other's intelligence or rank or height or whatever else they could think of at the time? It was unnatural to see them actually communicating.

Havoc recalled his stray thought at Elysia's party and he looked at them both again. Okay, so maybe he had been reaching a bit and what he had seen was nothing more than the start of a friendship. That was a strange thought. Mustang and Ed being friends. But as he thought about it, the more he realised that they had always had an intricate system between them for keeping score in their spats and for knowing just how far they could go with each other before inflicting real hurt. He had seen Mustang stand up for Ed on several occasions when the more senior officers had questioned Mustang's seemingly relaxed control of Ed's activities. And he had never heard Ed badmouth Mustang to anyone outside the understanding inner circle of Mustang's crew.

But things had been changing since Edward's return. The Chief had been more alive and unpredictable. Their arguments had been different. There had been real hurt inflicted on both sides and it had taken awhile but somehow they had managed to get past that. They had indulged in a few little spats, both in the office and publicly, just as they had in the old days. And there was something else that bugged at him. They seemed to be able to sort out their differences much quicker and with less shouting than they ever had before. It was almost as if they were trying to meet each other half-way.

"Do you even have an Aunt?" Edward questioned with disbelief.

"Of course I do. She's very sick at the moment, otherwise I'd introduce you to her, Edward." Mustang said in an excessively polite tone and Ed burst out laughing.

"You liar, Mustang." She said through her laughter and Mustang grinned as he chuckled lightly with her.

Havoc watched. Yes, things were definitely changing between those two.

* * *

Mid afternoon saw his spirits plummet again. Sometimes these days were just too long he thought, as he stamped another file. Edward had spaced out again, frowning off into the distance. And the Chief had left his office after being summoned to the Fuhrer's office.

Havoc was unable to find anything to distract himself with and sank deeper into his misery. It really was pathetic he thought, that he was just completely unable to stop feeling insecure about everything. For so many years he had been overshadowed. It had just seemed his lot in life, no matter how hard he had tried to escape it. Other people seemed to be able to overcome this, why wasn't he? Because he was scared. Being scared was something everyone felt, so why was it so hard for him to become not scared?

Riza was what he wanted and she had never once suggested that he was not what she wanted. How had one small stupid disagreement gotten so out of control? Because he hadn't faced a few demons and they had gripped him by the throat and held him back. If he wasn't so scared, he could have asked Riza already and he'd _know_, and not be sitting here agonizing. As he told himself again, nothing was definite and that he wouldn't know if he didn't ask.

How many times had he reached this point and slunk away to hide in a corner somewhere? Too many times. Because his greatest fear was that she would say 'no' and he would be left alone.

Havoc laughed bitterly. He was the world's biggest idiot. He hadn't even asked and he was alone. What did he have to lose now? Nothing. Maybe a bit of pride. But he realised there was nothing to be proud of in holding onto your insecurities if they kept you from at least trying.

He stood up and his stomach churned. He stared at Edward who was looking at him as if he had grown an extra head.

"I'm going to get Riza back." He said and her eyes opened wide in shock, but then she smiled at him.

"About bloody time."

* * *

Havoc commandeered a car with a curt 'I need that' and he drove rather fast out of the compound.

There was a strict speed limit through Central's streets, Havoc was doubling it at most corners and tripling it on the straight roads. There were several complaints phoned through to the Central Headquarters switchboard about the recklessness of military personnel and vehicles.

It was only when Havoc banged on Gracia's door that he realised that Riza wouldn't be here. She'd still be on the range. He spun on his heel with a curse just as the door opened.

"Sorry Gracia, my mistake. I'll catch her at the range." He called over his shoulder as he jumped down the steps.

"Jean?"

He stopped dead and he turned around. Riza stood there.

"Why aren't you at the range?" He demanded without thinking.

"We started early this morning." She said cautiously.

He stared at her and frowned. She had her hair down and it was damp at the ends. Her eyes were wide and curious.

"Do you love me?" He asked without preamble and he saw her blink. Jean Havoc had spent the last weeks twisted in his insecurities and he was tired of it and them. He wanted to know, he had to know if he was ever going to get out of this mess.

"Yes." Riza answered with a slight blush.

"Good." He faced her fully as she stood there. "Riza, I have spent most of my life knowing I was never good for much. I never had the drive like the Boss does or the charm of the Chief. Hell, I don't even look cute like Fuery does." He didn't allow her time to say anything as he kept on talking. "I know that it was my fault for taking so long to ask you out that first time and also for taking a long time to ask you to move in with me. I know that I have these insecurities and they get in the way but they are part of me and I need to know if you can accept that or not."

He looked at her, his face deadly serious and he expected her to be completely honest in return.

"I have always accepted them, Jean."

"And you never thought to talk about them with me?" He asked as he digested that. She had known all along and she had still loved him.

"Would you have discussed them?" She queried. No, he knew that. He would have resented her and would have become even more insecure in himself and in their relationship. But now it was out there for both of them and there was going to be no hiding for either of them.

"Now that we have that settled, get your bags and come home." He stated calmly.

"What?" She asked in a stunned voice.

"I said, pack your things and let's go home." He repeated. His blue eyes stayed fixed on hers.

She hesitated and he stayed there waiting patiently. He refused to let the insecurities get to him now. He had nothing to lose anymore. She knew him, she was aware of his faults and he would offer nothing but himself. She could take that or leave it.

She gave a quick nod and then almost ran back into the house.

The moment the door closed behind her, Jean Havoc let out his breath and had to bite down hard on his tongue to stop himself from shouting with joy.

* * *

Wednesday morning found Roy Mustang staring at his office and there was no-one there. He looked at the clock. No, he wasn't too early. If anything he was slightly late. He half-expected Edward to be late, she was not the most punctual person he knew. But Havoc was always here. There was something wrong if Havoc wasn't here.

He walked into his inner office and sat down. He felt tired again. Feeling tired was becoming a normal occurrence he thought. It was probably because he wasn't sleeping well. Well there's genius for you, Roy, he told himself. Thoughts of Edward were keeping him awake. The last few days had gone so slowly for him. Sitting at his desk, knowing Edward was just outside the door. Unable to see her but he could hear her move and her voice whenever she spoke to Havoc.

When he did see her, he found himself staring at her. He was watching, waiting for when she realised that she was attracted to him. It was in her eyes more often that not now. He had seen her eyes flicker to his hand and seen her puzzled frowns. She was definitely curious and confused. But he couldn't do anything until she realised it for herself. This was not something he could tell her. He just hoped that when she realised that she was attracted to him, she would be able to see that he was attracted to her. But by that time he would be able to do more to show he was attracted. Like asking her out.

This had to be the worse case of attraction he had ever had. And it didn't help knowing that he wanted to strengthen their friendship at the same time. It was the first time he had had both feelings coincide in the one person.

Noises in the outer office had him lifting his head and he saw Edward poke her head into his office.

"Havoc's sick and won't be in today." She said.

Mustang frowned. Havoc was sick? Hadn't he tried to convince Havoc to stay home last week and been rebuffed. For Havoc to call in sick without any urging meant he really must be ill.

"Did he say what it was?"

"No. He just said he wouldn't be in today but he should be fine for tomorrow." He saw Edward smile at something and frowned. It was as if she knew something he didn't.

His eyebrow rose. "Edward?" He queried.

"It's ok, Mustang. He'll be in tomorrow." And she slipped out of the doorway leaving him puzzled. She knew something about Havoc and his illness, he was sure of it but she was not worried about it. So it couldn't be too serious then. But why had she smiled like that?

It feels very different today Roy thought, with just the two of us here. Edward came in with the folders instead of Havoc. He heard her voice as she answered the phone. He was more aware of her as she moved in and out of the office. There was no-one to act as a buffer. He didn't have an excuse to go out there now.

It was a bit of surprise then when he looked up and found Ed entering his office with two lunch boxes in her hands. He grinned and he saw her eyes widen before they looked down at her hands.

"Even though he's not here, they still insisted I take them. They were most concerned for him." Ed smiled as she handed one across to him, still avoiding looking at him. She moved to curl up on the couch and he decided to join her there.

He settled into the other corner and opened the lunch. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and saw her hands tremble slightly as she opened her lunch. He kept his smile hidden. To know he could affect her like this was remarkable. He wasn't about to let her see how much she affected him just yet. Four years had made him cautious and while he knew what to do, he never forgot that this was Edward and he had no way of knowing just how she would react. Any preconceptions he had were useless in this case.

"When's the rehearsal, Mustang?" Edward asked and distracted him from his thoughts.

"At two. Plenty of time." He looked over at Edward. He was getting used to seeing her in the uniform now. And she didn't seem to mind wearing it. She usually had her hair in the high ponytail but today it was in the long braid and he wondered why she had felt the need for that. But her hair hanging loose was still his favourite. He had seen it like that at the party and at the dancing lesson. It made his fingers itch with wanting to slide through the long golden lengths. For someone who had prided himself on his patience, he was finding it rather hard to remain patient.

He was staring again and he saw the way Ed turned her head away and the faint blush on her cheeks. He had made her blush a few times this week he thought. It was a good sign and his eye lingered on the side of her face. He was so thankful he had not been wearing his gloves that night. He had felt the softness and gentle warmth of her skin and he had found himself rubbing the backs of his fingers against his lips a few times during the long evenings since. And he had made her shiver without even touching her the other day. He had been startled by that and he had become incredibly curious as to just how responsive Edward was. Another thought that had left him tossing and turning at night.

"Finished, Mustang?" She asked and he blinked and saw her standing up and holding her hand out for the empty lunch box.

"Yes." He said and gave it to her. He watched as she left the office and then placed his head in his hands. He had it so bad.

* * *

At ten minutes to two Roy Mustang appeared in the doorway.

"Time to go, Edward." He said cheerily, glad to be getting out of the office. He saw her eyes roll and laughed slightly. "It won't be all that bad, Edward."

"You're not the one who has to march around." She grumbled at him.

"No, I get to stand up for three hours and just watch." He didn't sound any happier than she did and he saw the grin that she tried to hide.

They walked through the halls and down to the parade ground. Blue uniforms were everywhere. Little groups huddled together amidst larger ones. Sergeant-Majors were shouting at some groups and Roy sighed at the confusion. I thought the Fuhrer said it was all under control, he thought. He noticed Edward looking around, appearing fascinated by the chaos.

He wove his way past several of the groups. He ignored the whispers in his wake. Falman was supposed to be somewhere around here and Roy knew that he would have everything he needed. It took him five minutes to find the stern faced Senior Warrant Officer who was in the middle of an argument with a Colonel who was disputing the marching order for his recruits.

"The order remains as it is." Mustang said coldly and the Colonel turned around to see who had interrupted him and met the single dark eye. He froze and then hurriedly saluted.

"The Fuhrer has approved the marching order, therefore there is no further need for this discussion to continue. Is there?" Mustang said politely and the Colonel shook his head.

"No Sir."

"Good. Dismissed." Mustang didn't watch him leave and held his hand out and Falman placed the order in his hand without saying anything. Mustang scanned it and then pointed to one side.

"The other alchemists should be over there, Edward. You'll need to stay with them until the practice is over."

"Sure, Mustang."

"Would it be too much to ask if you could show some faint respect for my superior position when we are in public?" He complained lightly.

"Probably, Mustang." Ed grinned at him and slipped off in the indicated direction.

Mustang held back a laugh. Edward did show some respect, just not always when she should. He shook his head and sighed.

"Okay Falman, lets get this done."

* * *

Roy Mustang became terribly bored after the first twenty minutes. Despite the apparent chaos, there was an underlying order and Falman knew exactly what that order was. A few shouts and commands and he had them lined up and in their units ready to begin.

Roy amused himself by hoping someone would trip or be out of step but nothing like that happened. He looked across and saw the bright golden head of Edward at the front of one group. He hid a frown as he noticed how friendly she seemed to be with them. He wasn't aware that she knew the other alchemists. He didn't know when she would have had the time. And then he realised that he had no idea what she did after she left the office every day.

She didn't have Al with her anymore. What did she do? Go back to an empty dorm? The library? He frowned. The thought of her sitting alone in the evenings struck him as very wrong indeed. Maybe he should invite her out to dinner. Just as friends, he was quick to add in his mind. Just because he was attracted to her, didn't mean they couldn't build their friendship as well. And he had enjoyed their last dinner and he knew she had. And it was probably about time he took the lead and actually instigated it, rather than have Edward take control as she had the last two times they had eaten together.

"Is it really that bad, Mustang?" A voice queried and Roy turned and saluted as he recognized the Fuhrer.

"Sorry Sir." Roy said as he wondered what the Fuhrer was talking about.

"You're frowning, Mustang. Are they really that bad this year?"

"Ahh no, Sir. I was thinking of something else."

"I understand." The Fuhrer smiled. "I tend to do that when I stand here too."

They both looked and watched in silence for a while as the individual units practiced marching in their squares.

"I won't be able to make the dress rehearsal on Friday, so you will be standing in for me, Mustang." The Fuhrer said.

"Thank you Sir." Roy replied automatically even as he groaned silently. He heard the soft chuckle beside him.

"Don't thank me, Brigadier-General. We both know how much you dislike it." The Fuhrer sighed. "At least we both have to suffer equally at the Parade."

Mustang did groan. He hadn't realised at first that he would be required to stand with the Fuhrer for the whole Parade. He had thought he could just oversee the practices and that would be it. But apparently not. Apparently the now-injured General Lin had wanted to stand beside his Fuhrer for three mind-numbing hours and had made that part of the Parade's arrangements. And Brigadier-General Roy Mustang, who considered signing paperwork preferable to spending three hours watching a march past, was now required to fill the position.

"If you do happen to find an excuse not to be there Brigadier-General, it had better be an excuse for two, otherwise I will formally request that you lead the State Alchemists in the Parade for the next five years." The Fuhrer's voice remained even but Mustang saw the twinkle in his eye as he turned to look at him.

"I will keep that in mind Sir." He managed to reply with a straight face and an answering gleam in his eye.

Mustang watched Falman darting from one group to another and glanced over again to make sure Edward was okay. She was laughing at something and there were smiles and grins all round the small group. He stared at her for awhile. It was good to see her so comfortable in a group like that but it irritated him that he wasn't there. Just to keep an eye on her, that's all.

"I see Edward Elric has settled in well." The Fuhrer remarked casually and Mustang stiffened.

"Yes Sir. Lieutenant-Colonel Elric has always been an asset to my staff." Roy said without hesitation.

"Ahh, so it was someone else who caused her to damage the gym equipment at the beginning of the week?"

Roy stared at him. Somehow he managed to stop his mouth from gaping open and then he frowned. How had he not known about this? Who had upset her to that extent and just how much damage had she done? "How much damage, Sir?"

"Just a punching bag, I believe."

Roy sighed in relief. "That sounds like she was letting out her temper, Sir. Edward needs to physically workout when she gets frustrated and angry."

"Have you considered taking her on your tour next week, Mustang? If she's feeling the need to vent like that, perhaps getting her out of the office would help?"

Now Roy Mustang had perfect hearing. His ears had always been able to hear exceptionally well. He had prided himself on his acute hearing. But somehow his ears must have failed him this time because he did not just hear the Fuhrer make that suggestion.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?" Roy asked in a completely expressionless voice.

"I said maybe you should take the Lieutenant-Colonel with you." The Fuhrer repeated.

The thought of spending a week in close quarters with Edward Elric sent the blood rushing in all directions at once. Roy had to blink several times and his breathing became strangely loud in his ears. He found being in the same office with her distracting enough and that was with a wall and door between them. What would it be like if he had to sit in the same small train carriage with her for nearly a week?

"Mustang? Are you alright?" He heard the Fuhrer asking and he shook himself slightly.

"Yes sir. I'm fine." He felt very dazed and he wondered if he was still standing upright. "I'll take that under advisement Sir." He said blankly as he tried to regain some inner balance.

He stared out over the parade ground and the only thing he could see was the golden blonde head.

Roy, you are in trouble, he told himself. You are in serious trouble.

* * *

Edward called in sick on Thursday. She made the call and then went straight back to her dorm and hid under her blankets. She curled up as tight as she could and chewed on her metal fingers. She had been doing that all night, ever since she had returned home from Gracia's, and she was exhausted.

It wasn't possible. It was just not possible. It was so impossible the words shouldn't even exist.

She was not attracted to Roy Mustang.

Gracia was wrong. She had to be. There had to be an error somewhere and the answer was wrong because of that error. It was just not possible.

_Gracia had opened the door and Edward had smiled before she had noticed the tired look in Gracia's eyes._

"_I can come back another time." She said, hesitantly._

"_No, it's ok. Elysia's just a bit sick at the moment. She's sleeping now." Gracia smiled. "I could do with the company. Now Riza has moved back in with Jean, the house feels a bit empty now."_

"_Really? That's great! I figured Jean was doing something when he called in sick today, especially after the way he left the office on Tuesday, he was so determined."_

_Gracia made tea and they sat in the lounge and Edward shifted and fidgeted as she tried to find a way to speak her thoughts._

"_What is it, Edward?"_

"_Umm, I think I have a problem, but I don't know. And I don't know where I can find out." Edward said. "And it's really confusing me."_

"_Well, talking about it is a good start." Gracia replied. "And then we can work out where you can get more information on it."_

"_Well, it's a feeling thing." Ed said and waved her hands in small circles. "It's like I get these feelings and I don't know why and I can't seem to stop them or to even stop thinking about them. Half the time I wind up going round in circles."_

"_You are female now, Edward. Do you know about menstruation and your periods?" Gracia asked._

"_Yes, I know about those. And it's not that. I keep checking the calendar." Edward replied bluntly and Gracia blinked slightly._

"_Well, is there anything in particular that sets off these feelings?" Gracia asked._

"_Yes." Edward almost growled her reply._

"_What is it?" _

"_Mustang."_

_There was silence and then Gracia spoke._

"_Roy Mustang?"_

"_There's no other Mustang I know." Ed groused and stood up and began to pace the floor. "It's driving me crazy, Gracia. The damned man gives me the shivers! I can't stop thinking about it and that makes me shiver. He looks at me and I twitch. I find myself staring at him! It's like my skin doesn't fit anymore and it's all his fault!"_

"_Edward." Gracia said slowly. "Do you like Roy?"_

"_Well, yes, I guess. He's becoming a friend. We're getting on okay. We're not fighting like we used to. It's rather nice not to be always looking for the insult and being able to talk to him."_

_Edward stopped as Gracia stared at her. "What?" She paced again. "I know I'm missing something here, but I can't seem to find it. There has to be a reason why I keep feeling like this. It seems so stupid to be so confused like this just because of him."_

"_Oh Edward. You have it bad." Gracia said with a gentle laugh._

"_Have what? What do I have?" Edward looked at her with a worried expression on her face._

"_Answer me this. What would you do if Roy asked you to dinner?" Gracia avoided Ed's question and Edward frowned at that._

"_Go to dinner." Ed stated calmly. "Although he did ask, I was the one who ended up dragging him there."_

_She did not expect Gracia to open her mouth and her eyes that wide. "You went to dinner with Roy?"_

"_Yes, last week." Edward explained in further detail and saw Gracia regain her composure. I am missing something here, Ed thought. And Gracia knows what it is but why is she taking the long way round instead of just telling me?_

"_I was thinking more of dinner with perhaps dancing or going to a show as part of the evening, Edward."_

"_That would be a date, Gracia and you only do that with people… you…like…" Edward's voice trailed off. That had been what Alfons and Noa had done and Edward had seen them off with a smile and not expected them home till much later in the evening. _

_She shook her head and couldn't seem to stop. She didn't like Mustang like that. He was a friend. He was just a friend._

"_Would you Edward?" Gracia asked again._

"_It's not possible!" Edward said, denial in her voice._

"_Why isn't it possible?" Gracia asked with curiousity._

"_He's a man! I can't like another man…like that!" Edward protested. Her thoughts were whirling in all directions and she was having trouble sorting it all out. Just because she was feeling and reacting to him all the time did_ not_ mean she liked__ him. Not as anything more than a friend. _

_Ed floundered around the lounge and then just sat on the floor and looked at Gracia._

"_It's not possible." She denied again._

"_It's called attraction, Edward." Gracia smiled._

_Edward shook her head and her braid swung wildly. "No."_

"_Have you ever felt the smallest touch resonate all the way through to your toes, Edward?" Gracia asked in the softest voice Ed had ever heard her use and she could see a memory in her eyes._

_Edward nodded before she could stop herself, undone by that look of remembrance. _

_Gracia slid off the chair and came to sit on the floor beside Edward. She leant against her._

"_When I met Maes, he was clowning around and being so flighty I thought there was nothing between us. He was a friend who could lift my spirits and make me smile with his madcap ways. But then one day it was raining and all he did was wipe a raindrop from my cheek and I felt it like I had never felt his touch before. I still feel it." Gracia lifted her hand and lightly drew a finger down her cheek and smiled._

_Edward unconsciously raised her hand and her fingers traced the line Mustang's had taken against the side of her face._

"_Attraction doesn't care what sex you are, Edward. It doesn't care if you don't even like the person. Attraction is something that everyone feels at some point."_

_Edward buried her face in her hands. "But to Mustang?" She protested. "That's just got to be wrong somewhere."_

_Gracia hugged her. "It could have been worse, Edward. Imagine if it had been Breda."_

_And Edward had groaned into Gracia's shoulder even as she had started to laugh._

But it still had to be wrong somewhere, Ed thought as she stayed under the blankets. There had to be a flaw somewhere. How could she be attracted to Mustang? It felt unnatural. Friends, yes, she could see that working. It was working, sort of. But attraction? Impossible.

She had thought dancing with another man to be unnatural and look how that had turned out. Okay, Edward, bad example, she told herself. How about dresses? Equally bad. She groaned, there were no other examples to use. No examples that would get her out of this. She had no precedents to follow. This time she really was out on her own.

What did you do with attraction? It was a feeling and it didn't seem to want to be closed up into a little box. It wanted to stay right out there and drive her crazy. It didn't like denial. Was it something you spoke about or did you just live with it and hope it passed? Would it pass? She growled. It had better pass. She didn't really want to be attracted to Mustang for the rest of her life.

So what if she had resonated to his touch. It didn't mean she had to do anything about it. Edward sat up.

That was it. Just because it was there didn't mean she had to do anything about it. She could ignore it. She was good at ignoring things she didn't want to think about. She had ignored pain before. How much harder could it be to ignore this?

Edward smiled. She could do this and no-one would ever know. Gracia wouldn't tell, she trusted her. She would just ignore it until it got tired of trying to confuse her and just faded away. Edward yawned, still smiling and her eyelids drooped.

Mustang was never ever going to know she was attracted to him.

* * *

Edward slept for the rest of the day and woke up late and slightly disorientated in the evening. She stretched and felt more relaxed. She had solved her problem and she was going forward. Her stomach grumbled.

Perhaps she could grab something from the mess and then get some more sleep. She still felt slightly tired and a little bit more sleep wouldn't hurt. She tumbled from the bed and dragged out her jeans and t-shirt. She wasn't going to put her uniform on just for dinner in the mess. She grabbed her coat from the wardrobe and her hand brushed against the green dress. She stopped.

She remembered dancing in that dress with Mustang. She had felt his hand at her side. He had been patient and hadn't said anything about the dress or her being unable to dance. He had been being a friend, she told herself. But wouldn't it be nice to dance with him again in that dress, a little voice whispered at the back of her mind. To feel the warmth of his hand again.

Her hand tightened on her coat. That was just the attraction talking and she had to ignore it. She could do this, she could. She took a few deep breaths and tried to clear her mind. She thrust her arms into her coat as she kept on trying. As she slammed the door behind her, she heard the little whisper again. Wouldn't it be nice. And her hand was at her face before she could think twice.

Maybe Gracia was right. Maybe she did have it bad.

* * *

The office felt strange to Hawkeye as she entered after nearly two full weeks away from it. Jean smiled at her as he went across to his desk and stared at the files that had once again multiplied overnight.

She watched him with a smile. It really was incredible she thought, how much he had changed these last two days. It was only small but there was a touch more confidence in his smile and she loved to see it. They had spent a lot of time talking and she could see him emerging from behind those insecurities. It would take time, she knew that, but she wasn't going to leave him now. She loved him and she wasn't afraid of the implied reliance and dependence that word had always seemed to carry.

When he had made his declaration and told her to come home, she had been slightly disappointed that it had not included a proposal but now she was rather glad that it hadn't. It didn't matter when or even if they got married. As long as they were together. She should have realised that at the start, it had just taken a bit of time for them both to realise it.

Roy Mustang walked in and blinked when he saw her.

"What are you doing here, Hawkeye?"

"I work here, Sir." She replied with a smile and saw him look from her to Jean and back and raise an eyebrow. She smiled wider and he smiled back.

"Good, it's about time you came back." he said and went through to his desk.

Edward appeared soon afterwards and Hawkeye stared. Edward was wearing her skirt and looking slightly pale.

"What the hell?" Havoc exclaimed.

"The Parade rehearsal." Edward muttered and sat down at her desk.

"Are you ok, Edward?" Hawkeye asked as Edward rubbed her forehead. "Jean said you were off sick yesterday."

"I didn't sleep well last night, that's all." Edward smiled. "Gracia told me. It's good to see you back together." She looked over at Havoc. "I guess there'll be no more lunches anymore."

"What lunches?" Hawkeye asked and Edward explained. Mustang appeared in the doorway half way through and Hawkeye noticed that he looked at Edward rather intently. Edward began to go pink as if she could feel him looking at her and Hawkeye's eyes narrowed.

"They'll have to find someone else to pine over now." Mustang remarked as she finished speaking.

"I told you, they were just doing it out pity." Havoc protested.

"Handmade lunches?" Hawkeye asked.

Roy nodded. "Yes, very nice ones too."

"Jean. Pity lunches would have been a selection from the mess. Freshly made, hand delivered ones have nothing to do with pity." Hawkeye stated.

She watched as his eyes opened wide and he sat up straight. "You mean I really was being chased after?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "And all those dinner invites as well?"

"What dinner invitations?" Riza asked in a cold voice. She saw Ed and Roy grin slightly and Jean stared at her.

"Oh come on babe, you know I'd never have accepted them."

"Not as long as he thought them offered out of pity." Roy said sotto voce, but Riza heard him and there was a bullet hole in the door frame next to his head.

Edward doubled over and laughed and Havoc grinned. Riza looked at them all.

"I can see this office has degenerated since I was last here. Now I am back, I am sure it won't be long before it is back the way it should be." She said firmly and watched as they all smiled at her.

"Welcome back, Riza." Edward said in a pleased voice.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye enjoyed the morning. Judging by the smiles on the faces of the others, they did too. Files and folders moved swiftly and smoothly from desk to desk. She noticed that Edward had the tendency to stare off into space occasionally and Roy sometimes brought his files out. Edward was being particularly careful not to look at him, she thought and wondered what had happened between them this time.

Nothing major otherwise the office would not be here.

Lunchtime came and Mustang appeared and sat on the corner of Edward's desk. Edward looked up and watched the doorway expectantly. Havoc put his head down and Riza looked at them puzzled.

When the girl from records came in with an armful of folders she only saw Havoc and was smiling at him as she placed the folders on his desk. Then she saw Hawkeye. Hawkeye saw the lunchbox and her eyebrow rose. Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't forget your lunch." She said in a cool voice and watched as the girl picked up the box and fled.

"That was my lunch, Riza" Roy said and she saw Edward bite her lip to stop from laughing.

The sound of heels at the door had them all looking up again and Hawkeye watched sternly as another box appeared.

"Captain Havoc has already had lunch and will not be needing another one." Hawkeye stated and let her hand drop to her sidearm.

"Looks like you lost your lunch too, Edward." Roy said with a grin as the girl left hurriedly.

"Then you owe me one, Mustang." Edward retorted.

Hawkeye watched as Edward blinked and then blushed. Mustang's eyebrow rose and Hawkeye saw a small smile appear.

"Okay Edward. I'll make reservations for the week after next and we'll do lunch, properly." He said clearly and got off her desk and disappeared into his office.

Hawkeye felt as stunned as Edward was looking. Just what was going on between those two and why was Jean smiling like that? Riza was determined to find out. When Edward put her head down on the desk and gave a smothered groan, she just knew it was not good.

* * *

She kept an eye on Edward and she was definitely thinking about something other than work. When Roy appeared in his doorway, she was sure that Edward went pink again.

"Time for the rehearsal, Edward." He said and she smiled weakly.

"Great."

"I'll come with you, Edward." Riza offered and she saw the grateful smile Edward gave her. Roy didn't seem fazed about her being there and Riza wondered again.

Edward kept her distance from Roy all the way through to the parade ground. Riza watched as they barely looked at each other. It was strange she thought. There was tension between them but it wasn't the usual tension she was used to. She wasn't wondering who would say the wrong thing first. She was wondering which one would say _anything_ first.

The parade ground was chaotic and Riza stared at all the milling soldiers. Roy and Edward seemed to know where to go so she followed them and they found Falman near the podium with files in his hands and several Sergeant-Majors who were getting their instructions.

"Same place, Mustang?" Edward asked quietly, staring at his chin.

"Yes." He replied just as quietly. "You did fine the other day. And you do look good in that uniform, Edward." Riza blinked. There was a depth of sincerity in his voice she couldn't recall hearing before. Edward must have heard it too because they stared at each other for a moment before Edward turned away and disappeared into the crowd. She watched Roy stare at the disappearing golden tail and she coughed slightly.

Roy started and then glanced at her with a composed face before turning to Falman. Riza stared. There was a trace of pink along his cheekbones. Roy Mustang was blushing.

Riza watched him for the rest of the rehearsal and she was left with one conclusion. Roy Mustang was attracted to Edward Elric. He would look towards the group of alchemists more often than he would any other group. He smiled when they marched past and his head actually turned to follow them, or one golden head in particular.

* * *

It was a long afternoon and Riza felt her feet aching. Mustang was still standing there and Falman hurried across every now and again as they fiddled with small matters of final placements. It was after five before they finally declared the rehearsal over and everyone was released.

Riza noticed that Roy was scanning the crowd as it dispersed and his face dropped slightly as if he couldn't find what he was looking for. She grinned to herself and left him there with a smile and a salute and went back to the office.

She found Edward sitting there and kicking her shoes off.

"After tomorrow I never want to _see_ another Parade, let alone be in one."

Jean laughed.

"It's only this once, Boss. You'll survive."

Riza smiled. "Jean's right. And after the Ball you won't have to worry about that either."

Ed groaned. "Do not remind me. I have been trying to avoid thinking of it all week."

"At least you can dance now." Riza said with a smile.

Ed's eyes lost focus for a moment. "Hmm." She replied and Riza's eyebrow lifted.

"Are you ok, Edward?" Riza asked.

"I'm fine, Riza. Just a thought is all." She said and looked at them both. "I guess you'll be going to the Ball together now."

"Of course, Ed." Jean replied. "But you can come with us."

"You're still going to be getting ready at Gracia's aren't you?" Riza asked.

"Yes."

"We'll pick you up from there." Jean said. "And we can drop you back at the dorms afterwards."

"Can't I have a sick Aunt like Mustang?" Ed pouted and Jean laughed.

Riza looked from one to the other.

"Lady General Montgomery. The Chief's annual excuse." Jean said and Riza laughed.

"Is that what he's using this year?"

They nodded. "Yes." Jean said.

"Well, I'm out of here to put my feet up. These damned shoes have rocks in them somewhere." Edward said as she picked up her shoes and slipped them back on. "Why can't I wear my boots?"

"They don't match the skirt, Ed." Jean said.

"Very funny Jean." Ed said as she stood up and smiled at them both. "See you tomorrow."

"See you then Ed."

"Take care, Edward."

They watched her leave the room and then Riza turned to Jean.

"Okay, what is going on between Edward and Roy?"

"They're becoming friends, Riz." Jean said as he began to tidy his desk.

"Just friends?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"Well, you always tell me I get these things wrong but yes, just friends I think." He smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes. They have had some arguments but nothing has lasted longer than a day and they've been joking and laughing sometimes. They don't shout at each other or throw insults around. They're just getting along."

"That sounds almost unnatural." Riza stated as she listened.

"What sounds unnatural?" Mustang's voice came from the door as he entered the office, looking around the room. Riza tried to tell herself that his face did not look disappointed to see no Edward here.

"Jean was just saying that you and Edward were becoming friends." She said calmly and watched him carefully.

Roy shrugged in a casual manner. "Yes we are." He frowned at her. "And that's unnatural?"

"Maybe not." She said consideringly. "It's just different I guess."

Roy laughed. "Edward has always been different and I'm finding that after all this time, it really doesn't hurt me to be different." He said as he went into his office.

Riza and Jean stared after him and then looked at each other.

"Just friends?" Riza mouthed at him. "Are you sure?"

"You don't think…?" He mouthed back and his eyes went wide.

* * *

Author's Note: Forgive the lateness of this, but it took a bit work to get this chapter finished. But it's here finally and you have no idea how thankful I am for that. I really wish characters would do what you tell them to and not make up their own plans…lol

Thank you again, and again for all the reviews. I am going to have to resort to other languages to find new ways to thank you for them…so merci bien

Sotto voce means 'under voice' in Italian. For very quiet remarks that you hope are not heard by others…lol

silken :)


	19. Of Parades and Balls

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter ****19: Of Parades and Balls**

Edward was late getting to the mess on Saturday morning and found Ralke and Van already there.

She discovered, when she finally left her dorm, that running in a skirt that confined your knees while wearing low heeled shoes was not something you wanted to do on a regular basis. It looked and felt awkward so she took off the shoes and hiked the skirt up slightly and ran down the stairs and passages. As she hit the mess doors, she discovered that stockings worked really well on smooth floors and she skated straight through with a grin on her face and slipped her way across to their usual table.

The others laughed and stood up to applaud and she bowed as she skidded to a stop. She held her shoes in one hand and her uniform hat in the other and she grinned at them both as she straightened up. She threw the hat on the table and pulled a chair out to sit down and put her shoes on.

"Do you think we could smooth out the Parade ground and just skate our way through it all?" Ed asked.

"We could but I doubt anyone else would appreciate it." Van replied.

"But it would be fun." Ed said as she stood up and went to fill a tray and get some coffee.

She was trying hard to stay cheerful today. It had been hard to get to sleep last night. Damn that Roy Mustang and his lunch plan. How the hell had she walked into that one? She was going to have to learn to stop and think next time she was any where near him. This attraction thing made it very hard to stay calm and mentally stable. It had been very late before she had finally managed to fall asleep and it hadn't been very restful sleep. Did Mustang really intend to take her to lunch wearing his gloves and Al's armour? That had been one very strange image and she still shuddered at it. All of which had made her sleep way past her usual waking time. The parade started at eleven and they were supposed to begin getting into their formations at ten. It was now nine and Edward just wished it was all over. But the others were excited and she was going to be excited right along with them, even if it killed her.

The three of them talked easily as they ate. The postings for Ralke and Van had finally come through and both were heading to the South in a week.

"I think they delayed it just so we could march." Ralke remarked as he waved his bacon around.

"Tag got his as well, and they're sending him East next week." Van said.

"East is good." Ed commented around a mouthful of egg.

"Will they post you anywhere, Ed?" Ralke asked.

She shook her head and swallowed. "No. It was part of my re-enlistment. They'd have to post Mustang out first." She looked at the tray for a moment. Not thinking about him, she chanted mentally. Not going to think about him. "But it would be nice to be somewhere where there was more than just paperwork to do. I really hate that stuff."

They laughed and she pointed her fork at them.

"You just wait until you get stuck behind a desk. Then you'll know just how bad it can be."

"Were you never told not to point, Edward?" An amused voice came from behind and they turned. Ed's eyes opened wide. She dropped the fork and looked at the newcomer.

"Ross! Shit! What are you doing here?" Ed stood up and smiled at the dark-haired woman.

"And hello to you too, Edward." She said with a smile and she stepped forward to hug Ed. Ed laughed and hugged her back.

"But seriously," Ed repeated as they set another chair at the table. "Why are you here?"

"The Parade, Edward. And I have to see the new recruits who are being assigned to us as well." Maria Ross replied in her composed manner.

"Major Ross." Ed smirked as she saw the insignia on Ross's shoulders. "I recall a certain Second Lieutenant who had a tough line with Majors."

"I still use that method to discipline wayward Lieutenant-Colonels, Edward." Ross firmly replied and Ed laughed.

Ralke refreshed all the coffees and sat down with curious eyes. Edward introduced everyone and quickly cleared her tray.

"Where are you stationed now, Ross?"

"East City."

"Didn't you say Tag was being posted there, Van?" Ed asked and he nodded.

"You know Major Vethis, Edward?" Ross asked.

"Yes, but we just call him Tag." Edward grinned. "You shouldn't have to hit him, he works hard. He reminds me a lot of Falman." She looked around. "He's usually here by now."

"He had breakfast earlier. He wanted to get his uniform pressed. Again." Van said with a grin.

Ed and Ralke snickered. "I bet even his buttons get polished." She said and they laughed when Ralke added "Again."

Ross studied the blonde. Riza had told her about the changes to Edward when Edward had first returned to Central but seeing them was an entirely different matter. When her Colonel had wanted an assistant to help escort the new recruits, she had jumped at the chance.

She had managed to keep herself from saying anything when she had first seen Edward. Maria Ross had always prided herself on her self-control and it was being sorely tested at the moment. Edward appeared to be a confident and vibrant woman as she sat there joking with her friends and they were quick to include her in their banter. But there was something in her eyes that didn't seem right. It was as if Edward was hiding something. She was putting on a façade and Ross could see no reason for it.

Ross smiled at one quick retort and then turned to Ed. "And Al? Riza said he was getting married?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, to Winry. You remember her." And Ross nodded.

"Yes, I remember her. She was your mechanic, wasn't she?"

"She still is. I wouldn't dare let anyone else touch my arm. Winry would kill me." Ed grinned.

"I am glad to hear that Al is settling down. He used to come through East City often while he was looking for you." Ross smiled lightly. "Will he be here for the Parade?"

"No." Edward shook her head and her long braid swung. "I believe his exact phrase was 'if I wanted to see you march, Sister, all I have to do is get Winry.' And then he laughed. Sometimes my brother is a grievous disappointment to me." She grinned and Ralke laughed, even Van grinned. They both remembered the scene at the quartermaster's.

"So you won't have any family here today?" Ross asked. "What about your Father? Did you ever regain contact with him? Al never said, although I know he did look for him as well." She added, never one to back away from sensitive questions.

Edward put her fork down and pushed her tray away. "No, he won't." She said abruptly and then looked at the others. "We'll have to get moving soon if we don't want to be late." Ralke and Van looked at her and Ross frowned.

"Edward, I know you two weren't on good terms." Ross said and they both recalled the moment when Ed had dragged his father back and hit him.

"That's being diplomatic, Ross. I hated the bastard and you know that." Edward looked at her and the golden eyes were somber. "I know you liked him, but it's really not a subject I want to discuss."

"Edward. He's your father."

"He _was_ my father." Ed looked at the table and then at Ross. "Let it be, Ross. I'm not a child anymore."

"You may not be a child any more Edward, but you seem to be acting like one." Maria looked at the blonde. Edward was keeping things to herself and trying to carry all the burdens, she thought. She still was not letting things go.

"Because I'm not wanting to discuss my father? Very well, Hohenheim stopped being my father on the day he left us. Is that what you wanted to hear? The subject is closed, Major."

"No, Edward. You were always one to hold everything close. You never shared with others. I had to hit you to make you see sense after that stupid stunt you pulled."

Edward sighed and her lips thinned slightly. "Four years ago, you hit me and called me on my actions. You were right, I had been reckless. I had nearly gotten my brother killed. But do you know that if I had to, I would do it all again? I would go back into that place, go back and suffer all those injuries again. I did it because my brother was my responsibility. I stopped being a child on the day I lost my arm and my leg. I stopped trusting in adults first when my father left and second when my mother died." Edward stared at her and her eyes were filled with old pain and memories. "You told me to let others share in the responsibility as well. You had a valid point but you were judging Al and me on our ages and not on our lives. You didn't know everything then and you still don't. Adults betrayed us, they never kept promises, they tried to use us and kill us. Back then I could have counted the adults I trusted on one hand, and had fingers left over."

"Edward, all I asked…"

"All you asked was for me to talk about a subject I don't want to discuss. And because of that you accused me of being childish. I have grown up and learnt that yes sometimes I do have to trust other people, that yes, I can not fix everything I want to. I have even learnt to look back and see that some mistakes are necessary. I even made peace with my father."

"But you seem to still be angry about it and holding onto anger like that is not healthy and that is childish."

"I know adults who can hold on to anger and resentment just as well as kids can." Edward stated and sighed. "Let's just leave it, Ross." Edward stood up. She needed to get away from here. Ross's questions were sending her back into memories she didn't want to recall today. She had enough mental turmoil as it was, and memories of Hohenheim would not help at all.

Maria Ross looked at Edward and frowned. Edward was being calm and mature about this and she had been rather shocked at the blunt assessment of the past Ed had given her. She hadn't known the full extent of what the Elric's had been through and she still didn't know all that had happened to them. But she had seen a need to protect them. She still felt that need.

"Tell me why you won't discuss it." Ross said.

Edward looked down at the seated woman. Her lips pursed slightly and her eyes closed briefly as she took a deep breath. Edward opened her eyes. "My father died two years ago, sacrificing himself for my safety and freedom."

Ross swallowed. Ed's voice had been completely expressionless but her eyes hadn't. There had been sorrow and there had also been guilt.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

"So am I." Edward said and picked up her tray, walking away to return it to the servery window. She walked back to the table and her face was composed if slightly pale. She picked up her hat.

"Ralke, Van, shall we go? I'm sure we'll see you afterwards, Ross." Edward met Maria's eyes and she could see that the subject was well and truly closed.

"I will see you later, Edward." Ross said firmly. She intended to talk with Edward again. There were more questions she wanted answers to now. Edward may have become an adult, but there were things in her golden eyes that hinted at deeper troubles. She watched as the three left the mess and decided she needed to have a further chat with Riza Hawkeye.

* * *

Edward paused briefly as they walked past the statue and she grimaced to herself. That had been stupid and senseless. She wasn't supposed to just let things out like that. And to Maria Ross of all people. She had 'mother' written all over her. She was going to want to know more.

"Ed?" Ralke's voice was hesitant and she turned and saw them both looking cautiously at her. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. I don't usually let things like that get to me." Ed said. "I think this whole Parade and Ball thing has really gotten to me." That and a certain Brigadier-General who wouldn't get out of her head and let her sleep or think straight.

"It's ok." Ralke said, not wanting to bring up something she obviously didn't want to talk about, but having to ask anyway. "But, Hohenheim? Did you mean Hohenheim of Light?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I read about him. He was mentioned in several texts." Ralke said slightly awed. "No wonder you're so good at alchemy."

Ed laughed slightly, letting herself get distracted by easy questions. She knew them well enough to know they would not ask about what had just happened. Yet. "I hate to disappoint you Ralke, but Dad didn't teach me or Al. He'd already left us by then. All we had were his books."

"Did she really hit you?" Van asked, distracting Ed further.

"Yes, a very solid slap across the face." Ed grinned. "She did apologise before she did it though. Her partner did the same to Al, but he was hurt more than Al was." Ed chuckled.

"What had you done?" Ralke asked wide-eyed.

"Gone sneaking out after being told not to. We ended up at the hospital, nothing major, and she told me off." Ed made light of it all. There were a lot of things in her past to make light of. Too many secrets that could never be told. Some things were a matter of public record and she stuck to the public version of those ones, even when she knew the truth. And the events that were still secret, stayed secret, hidden under a casual manner and easy shrugs.

"You know." Van said slowly as he stared at her. "I think you were right."

"Of course," said Edward. "But in which particular instance this time?"

"I think you were right when you said we'll be late. Its five after ten now." He laughed as Ed swore and they took off running. Ed tried to run after them and cursed louder at the skirt and shoes.

"Slow down, you cheating bastards!" She yelled after them.

* * *

Roy Mustang was not happy. He was not happy at having to be here at this parade and not happy about spending three hours standing and watching uniforms march up and down. Doing paperwork would be preferable, taking Edward to lunch would be extremely more preferable. He had asked her to lunch, a proper lunch. It wasn't quite the date he had planned but there was no reason why he couldn't invite her to dinner as well.

Because he knew it now. He had seen the blush and the look in her eyes when he had taken her up on her words yesterday. It had been fear, fear of discovery. She knew she was attracted to him and she was afraid of him knowing. Now he had to try and get her to see that he was attracted to her. He didn't want her to run down the path of denial. He wanted her to want to know more. Edward didn't normally run from things, but this was new and different and he had no idea how she would react. She had already surprised him a few times. He had no doubt that the one thing he could count on was that Edward was never going to react in a predictable fashion.

He already had it thought out. Tonight at the Ball he would ask her to dance and then ask her to dinner. For the evening after their lunch. That lunch should tell him how much she was attracted to him and give him the chance to show he was attracted to her and also to hopefully, allow them to talk. He wanted to know more about her. About the things he had realised the other day. What she did after work, or on the weekend. How had she come to know the other alchemists? What did she want to do with her time in the military? All the questions he should have been asking and hadn't.

It had been hard to sleep all week. It had been a lot harder to sleep last night. All night his thoughts had kept coming back to that look in her eyes. She knew. She knew. He didn't know how or what had caused her to know, but she did and he was completely terrified under all the hope he had. He was ignoring the fear. He knew it came from the fact that he had not done anything like this in four years. He knew it also stemmed from the fact that this was Edward he was thinking about. And any logical plans and ideas he had were always going to be subject to confusion.

Roy Mustang was not happy and only because Edward was marching today had he not tried harder to find an excuse, for two, to get out of attending.

He appeared at the parade grounds at half past ten and was calmly informed by Falman that he was late, that he was expected to be waiting at a certain spot to escort the Fuhrer in fifteen minutes to the main podium and that his hair was untidy and would he please attend to the matter at once.

"Exactly who do you work for, Falman?" Mustang asked when he had finally been given approval from the thin Senior Warrant Officer, after his method of flattening his hair with his hand had met with active disapproval.

"The military, Sir." Falman replied with a straight face and a gleam in his eye. Mustang laughed and turned on his heel to go and meet the Fuhrer.

"And Sir..?" Falman called after him. "There is a small reception after the Parade which you are required to escort the Fuhrer to."

Falman had to send for the copies of the Parade orders as the originals burst into flames.

* * *

Edward stood with the other alchemists. They were the smallest group. Only ten of them. It hadn't taken them long to get the hang of marching in step during their practice on Wednesday. Tag had taken control and had counted the steps out and they had all grinned and obediently followed. Once they had mastered it, they had tried to trip him up by counting backwards and then just using random numbers.

Edward had never known this sort of camaraderie. She had seen it between Mustang's crew. She had been a part of it, but they had been together before she had appeared. They had a history and stories she knew nothing about. They had been through the Rebellion together. They were contemporaries. Ed and Al had been younger and although they had in many ways become integrated into the group, there had still been that perception of their youth. And their goals had differed.

But now Ed was finding her way into a group of her own contemporaries. They were all alchemists, they were all roughly the same age. Her past had made it difficult at first, but they soon realised that she had as little idea of what happened in the military as they did and that made them more comfortable. Ed was the first to admit that her previous military experience was of little help to them or to her. Ed had not had a standard military service. She had been too young and she had always been sent out on missions, there had been no official tours and duties. She was learning with them.

Ralke, Van and lately, Tag had become the ones she knew best. She regularly had breakfast with Ralke and Van, and Tag had joined them the last few mornings. She wasn't sure how she felt about them being posted out. She was used to being the one moving on and not the one being left behind.

"Is everything ready, Lieutenant-Colonel?" Falman appeared beside her and her nose wrinkled.

"Yes, we're all ready, Falman." She frowned. "What is that smell? It smells like smoke."

"The Brigadier-General was not happy with some of the arrangements." And Edward nodded in understanding. She couldn't stop herself from having a quick look around but all she could see were blue uniforms.

"He's not the only one," she muttered and Falman grinned at her.

"It is a soldier's duty to serve in whatever capacity is required, Lieutenant-Colonel." He intoned and she laughed.

"But no-one said I had to enjoy it, Falman."

"That's alright, Lieutenant-Colonel. No-one expects you to smile today."

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang wondered yet again, why it was that he had not been able to concoct any excuse to get himself out of this. He had had years of experience in finding excuses. Excuses for undone and incomplete paperwork, excuses for missions to keep Edward searching, excuses for keeping his staff and excuses for avoiding anything he didn't want to do. So why was he standing here, waiting for the Parade to begin and trying to keep his sighs from becoming audible.

"I am severely disappointed in you, Brigadier-General." The soft voice carried no further than Mustang's ears.

"Not as much as I am, Sir." Mustang murmured in reply.

The wide boulevards in front of Central Headquarters had been cordoned off and the Fuhrer and the Brigadier-General stood on the podium that had been set up in front of the wide steps. The green and cream Military ensign hung from the bars in front of them and had been secured to stop it from moving too much in the breeze. Behind them, military personnel were arrayed on the steps and above them all the large ensign flowed against the white marble.

Spectators crowded around the edges and raised seating had been erected at various positions. People had begun arriving very early and there were very few vantage points left. It was noisy and cheerful. Families had come out to support their offspring, friends to cheer on their mates and many others who wanted to enjoy the celebratory atmosphere.

Roy Mustang hated this. It was too open, too public. It was rather ironic he thought, that if he had succeeded in his ambitions, he would have had to do this regularly. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that he hadn't quite succeeded.

The sounds of trumpets signaled the start of the Parade and heads turned to the large gates that led into the parade grounds where the recruits were mustered. Slowly they opened and the sound of marching boots could be heard approaching. It took a moment but suddenly the first lines appeared.

Blue uniforms and black boots stepped out through the gates. In straight lines they came, one after the other. Two standard bearers marched before each battalion. One carried the Dragon and one the batallion insignia. The crisp banners fluttered beneath the shining silver. Cheers erupted as they appeared and spectators waved and smiled, the noise a visible wave that followed the marching men.

In contrast to the enthusiasm of the crowd, the men walked with straight faces staring straight ahead. Expressions of firm resolve and awareness of their new responsibilities were on all their faces. Sometimes their eyes would look sideways trying to spot family or friends amongst the noise and smiling faces. Names were being shouted and called and the recruits wanted to turn and look but their commanding officers had instructed them and they knew they were not allowed to acknowledge the crowd.

The Fuhrer and Mustang watched as they made their slow way around the perimeter. Mustang's eye kept flickering to the gates waiting for the appearance of the State Alchemists. He knew they would be one of the last to appear but he still watched. A discreet cough had him turning to accept a note from a slightly apologetic Corporal. He unfolded it and read it and sighed.

"Anything I should worry about, Mustang?" The Fuhrer asked as his eyes slid sideways.

"Lady General Montgomery." Mustang said quietly and saw the grin the Fuhrer immediately hid.

"Ahh. I understand." He said. "I am on her New Year's Ball list."

Mustang turned to the Corporal and said, "Tell the General that due to my responsibilities today and certain family problems, I am unable to assist her in this matter." The Corporal saluted and moved away.

"Family problems?" The Fuhrer asked with a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving tone.

"A sick Aunt." Mustang replied with a straight face.

The Fuhrer smiled. "I must remember that one for the New Year."

"That Aunt has many nephews. One more would not be noticed, Sir." Mustang murmured as his lips curled slightly in a grin.

His words were almost lost in the crowd noise which surged as the first of the battalions approached and synchronized heads turned and arms saluted. The Fuhrer looked at them and saluted in return. They marched past and Mustang was struck with recalling how it had felt to be down there. Feeling as if you had entered a world where anything was possible, where you could have a future protecting and serving something so much bigger than you were.

He could see it on their faces. Idealism, patriotism. He had once been like that. He had wanted to serve and protect. Until he had seen the truth in the flames he had used to burn Ishbal. So he had found a new purpose. One that would allow him to regain those ideals of protecting and serving, not just civilians but the military itself. And then he had found an uglier truth and it had stripped him of all pretensions and hope.

He looked at the young men and women. The man who stood beside him held the position he had once wanted. He had the responsibility and the duty to see that these recruits were protected from the betrayals Mustang had known. And as a senior member of this military, Roy suddenly realised it was also _his_ duty to ensure that. He became aware that he had lost sight of the wider responsibilities he had. He had been too concerned with the little world contained within his office. With the never-ending flow of resented paperwork. Even the annual tours he went on, he had treated them as a chore and a burden and not the opportunity to ensure the security and stability of the military and its personnel that they were supposed to be.

Roy was abruptly aware that he had a choice. He could choose to go back to his office and back into the routines that had become all too familiar and settled over the last four years. Or he could take a more active role and help define a military that could become all he had once believed it should be.

* * *

Edward Elric was bored. She watched the battalions moving out with their straight faces and heavy steps and she sighed. She flicked her watch open. A whole hour wasted so far. This was just so boring and pointless.

"Not much longer now, Ed." Ralke said as the formation in front of them began to move.

"Finally." Ed said and straightened her jacket. "Are we all presentable?" And they all looked at Van who said "what?" They all grinned.

"Just checking, Van." Ed replied with a smirk. Last time Van had forgotten to tuck his shirt in, his jacket had been stained and his boots had not been shiny. Tag had told him, in comprehensive detail, every uniform mistake he had committed, much to Van's embarrassment and every one else's enjoyment.

Edward pulled her hat on and tugged her braid to make sure it fell straight. Everyone brushed miniscule and invisible dust from their jackets and they slowly made their way to the gates. Ed grinned at Falman as he stood there checking them off his long list. He saluted and she winked back at him.

There were no standard bearers for the State Alchemists, no insignia or banners. The only mark of their status was the silver chain looped at their hips. The crowd noise dipped slightly as they appeared. The years may have passed and most of the stigma forgotten, but there was still an uneasy mystique to being a State Alchemist. Their wide ranging authority and the fact they had given control of their talents over to the military made many think twice. Alchemy was relatively common and seen as a gift, but it was widely recognized that those who served the State were usually the strongest and most talented. There were exaggerated legends about the almost supernatural powers they commanded with their silver watches and the loyalty they gave to those they served.

Edward was stunned by the noise. It swirled around her as they began to move past the crowd. She could see fingers pointing at them, faces smiling and laughing. The colours were bright and she had to blink a few times. She had never thought it would be like this. The air felt alive all around her. She could feel the sensations echoing through her and judging from the harsh breathing she heard from beside her, the others were feeling it too.

"We just keep walking, guys." She said and hoped they could hear her.

"We're here, Ed." Tag's voice came from behind her.

"I certainly hope so Tag. I wasn't about to go back and fetch you." Ed retorted and she heard the soft chuckles and felt the tensions easing.

It was so easy to feel overwhelmed by this, she thought. No wonder the military insisted on this. Probably for the first time in her life, Edward actually felt herself to be a part of the military. She had joined simply to achieve a goal. She had never felt like she belonged. Now as she looked around, she realised that she could belong here. There was a place here if she wanted it and was willing to make the necessary sacrifices. She had never thought of being responsible for anything other than her own mistakes and obligations.

She recalled what she had said in her interview. To be there for all the people who had shaped her life and her alchemy. To give less than her best to whatever she decided to do would be to let them down. And it would also be letting herself down. She could make a future here. Something more than just reading files and folders. She had the ability to define her role, to balance her need for alchemy and her need to be active, to do _something_. She knew she was just not suited to sitting in an office.

"Ed!" Ralke's voice interrupted her thoughts and she remembered just in time not to turn back to look at him.

"What?"

"I think theres some friends of yours up ahead."

Edward looked and groaned. "I am going to kill them." She swore. She could hear the choking sounds around her as the others saw it too.

"All bets are off today, Fullmetal!" was printed on a large white card that Breda and Fuery were holding up.

Havoc and Hawkeye stood next to them and Havoc had Elysia perched on his shoulders. Maria Ross and Gracia were beside them. Elysia had a military cap on her head that Ed surmised to be Ross' as she was only one in uniform.

She looked at them as she marched closer. She blinked a few times. If she had wanted a reason to make a place here, she was looking at it. In those faces that grinned and laughed at her and looked so damned proud of her. These were the people she didn't want to let down.

"Eyes left!" She heard Tag's voice behind her and automatically she looked left. "Salute!" He called and they all saluted as they marched past.

All but Gracia saluted back, even Elysia pushed her hand up to her head in a credible motion. Edward had to blink furiously even as she smiled. She would never let these people down. Not the friends who had known her for years or the new friends who marched with her.

"Thank you." She said after they had passed.

"My family's up near the next intersection." Was all Tag said in reply and they all grinned.

* * *

Roy Mustang saw the State Alchemists enter and resisted the urge to rub his palms down his thighs in a nervous gesture. With the battalions in front of them blocking his view, he kept losing track of where they were. He wondered what Edward was thinking as she marched. Was she bored or nervous? Was she feeling the same way he once felt, was she sensing the idealism? Would she be overwhelmed? Why weren't they marching quicker? It seemed to be taking a long time for them to circle the perimeter. But finally they turned the last corner and he could see the small group.

As they came closer he could feel his heart beating a bit faster. He turned his head to watch them approach. She was there and his breath caught slightly. She was marching easily with the others. The hat hid her hair from him and he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't see it shining. But the uniform gave her that air of confidence he had noticed before. He blinked suddenly. Edward was smiling. He was rather surprised at that. She looked like she was enjoying herself.

He saw her lips move and they all turned their heads and saluted. They were all grinning.

Roy met the golden eyes briefly as he saluted back and he saw her grin widen before they all looked forward again and continued on to their designated spot standing alongside all the other formations who were standing waiting for the Fuhrer's formal address once the march past had finished. His head turned and he watched the long golden braid swaying. He blinked as he met the amused look on the Fuhrer's face.

"I've never had a formation grin at _me_ before, Mustang. Perhaps it was intended for you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Recalling the extra wide grin on Edward's face had him replying, "Probably, Sir," in a resigned manner.

Roy didn't hear any of the Fuhrer's speech. He stood there and his eye kept going to Edward. She stood there with the others, appearing to pay attention but he knew her well enough to know she wasn't concentrating either. Several times his gaze crossed hers and although he was too far away to be certain, he was fairly sure she was blushing. He was actually starting to feel himself looking forward to the Ball tonight. To see her and to dance with her, but mostly to ask her out to dinner. He didn't want to share his time with her in a crowded ballroom surrounded by others. He wanted it to be just the two of them where they could talk and he could concentrate completely on her.

He considered again the Fuhrer's suggestion that he take Edward on his tour. He was already taking Falman, it wouldn't be too difficult to have Edward added to his entourage. It wasn't too late to change his mind. But if he was going to be honest with himself, he needed the time away from her. There were other considerations now, he realised. If he intended to become more active in the military, how would that effect what he wanted with Edward? A friendship would not be affected, but he didn't want just that. He wanted to see exactly where this attraction could take him. For once in his life he wanted to be with someone that made him _feel_. Because that was what Edward did to him. She made him feel things. She made him aware of the world around him. And she was attracted to _him_.

It was the only thing he was sure of at the moment. Edward Elric was attracted to him.

* * *

Edward Elric tuned out the Fuhrer's speech. She stared politely ahead and pretended to listen as her mind went reeling off to its favoured place of the moment. And that was Roy Mustang. She felt like she was bordering on obsession with the man. Her mind would automatically go to thoughts of him if she wasn't consciously thinking of something else.

He had invited her to lunch. She had opened her mouth without thinking and he had invited her to lunch. And he had looked at her. She had been so scared that he would see she was attracted to him. There was no way he was ever going to find out. She could work at it in the office. She could be calm and collected. She wouldn't let his presence get to her. She could do this, she just knew she could. It was a bit hard to control the blushing though.

She stared at him again and felt her cheeks go pink. He was looking at her. How did you stop from blushing? She looked back at the Fuhrer. He was still talking. How much longer would this go on for, she thought. She had to dance with him tonight. He was taller than Mustang. Would that make a difference she wondered. Just as well she had practiced in those shoes last time. She frowned slightly. Would it be different dancing with the Fuhrer compared to dancing with Mustang? She shrugged, it was just dancing, wasn't it? There was no reason for it to be different. But her frown remained.

Would he ask her to dance tonight? She knew he didn't want to be there. Did he hide in a corner or just stay on the edges like she was planning to do. If he did that, would he even ask her to dance? Did she want him to ask her to dance? Well yes, said the attracted half of her mind. The rest of her mind sighed and began twisting itself into knots again. Simplification did not seem to work with attraction any more than denial and ignoring it had.

"You're miles away, Ed." Ralke murmured.

"Just thinking." She replied and found her eyes watching Mustang again.

* * *

Edward Elric fell back into the chair with a loud sigh and kicked her shoes off. Elysia climbed up into her lap and Gracia laughed.

"I am so glad I do not have to do that again." She said as she pulled her braid around and let Elysia begin to undo it.

"You looked very smart out there Edward. We were all proud of you." Gracia replied with a smile.

"The ones who should be proud are you. You all took the time with me and Al when we were nothing but trouble. If we turned out okay, it's because of you." Ed smiled at the older woman. "And this one too." She said as she lightly tickled Elysia. Elysia giggled and coughed. Edward raised an eyebrow and Gracia nodded.

"Yes, she's still not quite over the cold, but we couldn't miss seeing you march today."

"I'm glad you were there." Ed grinned. "Even Fuery and Breda."

"You did know you're not supposed to acknowledge the crowd when you march, didn't you Edward?"

"Well, not really. Falman just said I didn't have to smile. And I don't see what we did as being completely wrong." She laughed. "We ended up saluting everyone's families as well."

After the Parade, as the recruits had disbursed and gone to find their families and friends, Edward had been dragged across to meet Ralke's parents. Most of the parents of the alchemists had gathered together and Ed had spent a pleasant hour teasing and getting teased in return. But then she had excused herself and left to go to Gracia's. She had looked around to see if she could see Mustang but he had disappeared with the Fuhrer somewhere and she had felt a bit disappointed. It was nice to sit here and know that half the day had passed and that despite all her misgivings, she had enjoyed it, and she had finally begun to find a purpose to her life. Something to work towards.

Gracia looked at Edward. She was relaxing as Elysia untwisted the braid and her eyes were happy. Gracia had not expected Edward to be this at peace with herself. Not today. Not when she had been dreading this day all week. Not when she knew just how upset she had been about being attracted to Roy.

"Maria said you were a bit blunt at breakfast this morning, Edward." Gracia remarked and saw Ed scrunch her face up.

"She asked about something I didn't want to discuss."

"She said that." Gracia smiled at the reluctance in Ed's voice.

"I know she cares for me and all that. And it was good to see her there during the march. But I think I want her to see me as someone who doesn't need to be protected. It's like I'm still a child in her eyes. Even back then I think she was seeing me as being twelve and not fifteen." Ed paused. "I think she'll make a great mother, I just don't want her as mine." Gracia held back a smile at Ed's remark.

Elysia had Ed's hair freed from the braid and was running her fingers through it. "I'm going to grow my hair as long as yours." She said.

"Some days I think about cutting it short." Ed smiled. "It gets awkward being so long at times."

"Edward. If you ever cut your hair short, you are banned from here until it grows again." Gracia said sternly and Edward stared at her. "It's too lovely to cut short." She added with a smile.

"Gracia, it's down to my hips, it takes forever to wash and dry and it catches on everything." Edward replied. "Even if I took a foot off it, it would still be long."

"Edward, trust me on this one. Getting it cut more than an inch or two to straighten the ends would be a tragedy. I mean it. It looks absolutely beautiful and I'd hate for you to regret doing something like that." Gracia looked at Elysia who was completely occupied with plaiting sections of Ed's hair and then at Edward. "And Roy loves long hair." She added in a soft tone.

Edward's eyes went wide and she stared at Gracia, almost horrified as she blushed.

"What?" she exclaimed.

Gracia smiled. "So, you still like him."

Edward groaned and hid her face against Elysia. Elysia leant against her and wove four strands together. Edward looked up.

"He invited me to lunch week after next." She looked terrified and Gracia frowned in concern.

"What is so bad about that, Edward?"

"What if he finds out that… that… you know." She said, her eyes wide.

"Would that be so bad?" Gracia asked.

"Hell yes!" Edward replied emphatically, then lowered her voice as she felt Elysia react to her loudness. She leant forward slightly and pulled more of her hair over for Elysia to play with. "Gracia, can you imagine how miserable he would make my life if he knew that. Edward Elric who doesn't even know what sex _he_ is, is attracted to Roy Mustang? I don't want this attraction. It's taking over my life, Gracia. It certainly doesn't want me to sleep when it could be talking to me all night."

Gracia decided not to ask if Edward had considered that maybe Roy was attracted to her. Edward hadn't recognized her own feelings, Gracia was fairly certain Edward wouldn't recognize any one else's at the moment. Edward was definitely confused and resentful.

"Why did he invite you to lunch?" She asked and Ed explained about the lunch boxes and made her laugh over Riza's reaction.

"I should never have opened my mouth. I was terrified he'd know."

"Sometimes you just have to accept these things, Edward." Gracia said placatingly.

"Not this one, I don't. There is no way I am going to accept this."

"Don't you like Uncle Roy, Sis?" Elysia asked then looked at them puzzled as Edward groaned and her mother sat back and laughed.

* * *

Schieska turned up on Gracia's doorstep at four o'clock. She had a bag slung over her shoulder and a large flat garment bag containing her dress. Ed had wondered why it was necessary to start so early and had been awarded such shocked looks she hadn't asked again. They hadn't even answered the question.

Gracia sent them off to wash their hair and when they came back she had a light meal waiting for them. Edward found herself wrapped in a large robe, her hair in a towel and eating toast with egg. It seemed a bit surreal she thought. Between the Parade this morning and dreading the Ball later, she felt these moments to be strangely out of place. She had thought that all she needed to do was get dressed half an hour before it was time to go and it would all be fine.

She listened to Schieska and Gracia talking and suddenly realised they were talking about styling her hair. She blinked at them.

"I'll just wear it in the high tail."

"No Ed, you should put it up." Schieska said.

"Maybe half up, half down would look good." Gracia remarked.

"The high tail will do fine." Edward said firmly. She could see it in their eyes. She recognized that look. It was the one Winry had had when she had tried to get Ed to wear makeup.

"Edward, this is a formal occasion. You have a lovely gown, don't you think your hair should be equally lovely?" Schieska asked.

"Are you saying it's not lovely as it is, Schieska?" Ed's eyebrow rose and she held back a smile.

"No, no, I didn't mean that... I meant…" Ed laughed as Schieska became flustered and Schieska frowned at her before smiling back. "But seriously, Ed. It would look really nice if you wore it up."

"It won't hurt you to experiment, Edward." Gracia said. "We have plenty of time." And Edward just knew that was the reason they were starting so early. She had never disliked the word 'experiment' before. She had the sudden feeling she was going to absolutely hate that word before another hour had passed.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang stood behind the Fuhrer during the small reception which wasn't as small as he had imagined it to be. Representatives from the major military commands were there. Along with various advisors and sundry attachments. Larger bases had also sent personnel as had various research facilities.

After the initial round of introductions, he moved to the side for a moment and found himself accosted by a large Colonel.

"Brigadier-General, it is indeed a pleasure to see you again Sir." The man's blond hair lock actually trembled with its' owner's excitement.

"Colonel Armstrong." Mustang smiled warily. "A pleasure indeed."

"I did not expect to see you grace this occasion with your presence and had resigned myself to hoping to catch a few meager moments of your time tonight. This is most fortuitous indeed."

"I must admit that I was not aware you were coming here this year." Mustang said. Four years ago, Major Armstrong had resigned his commission. After Liore he had found it impossible to continue serving and had started to help rebuilding Liore. It had taken Roy Mustang's crew two years to convince him to return and with Roy's help, another year to convince him to accept the rank of Colonel and command of East City.

"I had to come to meet the promising young men who will be serving under my command, Brigadier-General. I would bring shame to my family name if I was not concerned with the well-being of all those who have been assigned to my care."

Mustang smiled. Armstrong had not changed. He was still large and shiny even if he had learnt a measure of restraint during the two years of his retirement. Armstrong had proven to be a very capable commander for East City and he had not forgotten Liore. New staff were always posted there at the beginning of their service. There they were expected to help with the ongoing building, and as an Ishbalan settlement had been constructed nearby, they were also expected to serve there as well. Not many people refused. Colonel Armstrong was a very persuasive man.

Major Ross appeared at his side and Mustang returned her salute.

"I spied Edward Elric in the parade, Brigadier-General." Armstrong said. "It was most heartening to hear of her return, but to be able to watch her march was a true vision of hope and promise fulfilled." Armstrong sniffed and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

"Yes, we are all proud of the Lieutenant-Colonel, Armstrong." Mustang said as he smiled, knowing that feeling proud of her was the least of his feelings.

"To have overcome so many difficulties and to have suffered through so many tragedies. It is a miracle that young Edward is back with us, Sir." Armstrong began and Mustang could see him drawing breath between each word, setting himself up for a long sentimental speech.

"Edward would be the last one to want to talk of such things, Armstrong. She doesn't consider her suffering makes her more deserving than anyone else." Mustang said firmly, hoping to be able to stop him before he really got going. "You know as well as I do that Edward has never done anything for herself."

Maria Ross listened as they talked. She knew that Edward had been stationed at East City under the then Colonel Mustang's command. There were still stories floating around about their battle assessment. And many more tales of their verbal spats. There were stories of the brothers everywhere. Places where they used to eat, or rather tales of just how much Edward Elric could eat when he had put his mind to it. She had heard the hospital staff jokingly refer to the emergency room as the 'Elric Wing' and even at the train station someone had carved 'Reserved for Elric' on one of the platform benches. She had asked and been told the boys had always sat there as they had waited for yet another train.

For all she had learned, there was still so much she didn't know. So many things kept secret and it appeared that the two men in front of her knew more than she did. The Brigadier-General especially. He seemed more supportive of Edward than she would have expected, given the stories about them. She was well aware of Colonel Armstrong's very strong sentimental streak and knew he would be affected by any tragic tale. But to see Brigadier-General Mustang speaking so confidently implied that he knew a lot about Edward and her past. Maria Ross became more determined to speak to Riza Hawkeye.

* * *

Edward was proven correct. She hated the word 'experiment' and she began to seriously consider getting her hair cut. Short. Very short. They pulled it up, they plaited and braided. They twisted and curled. They had it half up and half down. They tried chignons and knots. Finally they settled on a high chignon and looped two long strands down to the nape of her neck and slid them back into the smooth bun and then set a third length to fall from the side.

"These will hold it securely, Edward." Gracia said as she stuck another pin into the sleek hair.

"You're embedding them in my skull, Gracia. I'd call that secure." Edward winced. It felt strangely confining to have her hair styled like this. Her usual braid and high tail always felt natural. This did not feel natural.

Schieska had pulled her hair back and had let it curl down to just past her shoulders. She had a dark green ribbon twined through it. Edward watched. She seemed nervous and kept patting her hair to make sure it was keeping its shape. Ed frowned slightly. Why was Schieska nervous? Edward didn't want to go, but she didn't see why it would make anyone nervous. Turn up, dance, mingle and leave. Riza's description had been simple and there was nothing there to make anyone nervous. Except maybe the dancing, Ed thought. The only one on that list Ed was looking forward to was the last one.

She hadn't quite figured out how she was going to manage the dancing. She knew she had to dance with the Fuhrer but that was it. She really didn't want to dance anymore after that. What about Mustang, her little voice whispered. She didn't want to dance and that was it she replied firmly. You like dancing with him. That doesn't matter, I am not going to dance with him. What if he asks? Then I'll refuse politely. What if he doesn't ask? Then I won't have to say no. But her stomach felt strangely uneasy at the thought that he might not ask her to dance.

Edward was still thinking of not dancing with Mustang as she climbed the stairs to put her gown on. Edward looked at the dress laid on the bed and sighed. It's just one night, she told herself. You can do this and it doesn't matter if he doesn't ask you. She slipped out of the robe and shivered slightly. Lingerie with lace and she smiled slightly. Granny would be pleased at that, she thought as she picked up the dress.

It was awkward to keep her hair from getting caught as she pulled it over her head and she found herself deliberately slowing down to avoid ruining Gracia's effort. She twisted the gown around and pulled the zipper up. She took a deep breath and picking up the long gloves, walked to stand in front of the full length mirror feeling like she had left a burning bridge behind her.

* * *

It was after five before Roy Mustang could leave Headquarters and go home to begin his preparations for the evening. He was tired and he was irritated. He was going to make Falman sorry for misleading him about that 'small' reception.

The first thing he did on reaching home was pour himself a drink, sit down and take a large swallow. Did he really want to become active in the military again? He'd have to suffer through more occasions like that. But it would be a small price to pay he thought, if he could come home after something like that and find Edward here to talk to.

Roy choked on his drink. Edward. Here and waiting for him? Roy looked at his glass, he'd had two mouthfuls, how had he become delusional after so little? He was aiming for dinner, a date, and more to follow. He hadn't thought further than that. He wasn't letting himself go further than that. Besides, Edward was not the type to sit and wait patiently. No, she'd want to be right there with him. Wouldn't she? Oh God, he certainly hoped so. Now that would make all such events worth attending.

He took that thought with him to the bathroom as he showered and dressed. It had been a year since he had last worn his formal suit. He pulled the cuffs straight as he stood in front of his dresser and attached his silver cuff links. The crispness of his white shirt contrasted with the dark cummerbund and his black jacket as he shrugged into it. He tugged lightly at the lapels and rolled his shoulders to get it to fall correctly. He brushed imaginary dust from the sleeves and ran his hand over his hair.

Roy didn't recall being nervous before the Ball before. Impatient and resentful yes, but not nervous. Every year he went and every year he left as soon as he was able. He never danced, he mingled to the absolute minimum and he saved his drinking for when he got home. Just because Edward was going to be there this year was no reason to feel nervous. Just because he was going to ask her to dance and out for a date was no reason to be scared.

His eyebrow rose and he looked at himself in the mirror. "Who am I kidding?" He asked his reflection. Not me, his face seemed to reply.

Four years had taken a toll on his confidence. The strength of his attraction to Edward confused him. It was pushing at his self-control and it was pushing him right out there into the open. The skills he hadn't used in four years didn't seem to be helping him now. It wasn't that he didn't remember what to do, he was just unable to use them on her. He kept trying to slow it down, trying to hold back. There was more than an awareness of her. There was one for himself as well. All these new thoughts and ideals that she seemed to have sparked in him.

He picked up his dress gloves and stared at them. Four years ago he had put aside his ignition gloves and taken to wearing the plain white gloves for this occasion. He had stopped wearing the symbols of his alchemy at the same time as he had started to deny the public recognition of his past. Turning away and keeping it closed within him. With the patch to hide his scars, the plain white gloves had hid his inadequacies of the time. Even after he had managed to regain his skill and nearly always wore his arrayed gloves at the office, he had kept to the plain gloves for formal affairs.

With a blank look on his face he opened another drawer and looked at the pristine pair of gloves within. The red arrays were like blood across the white cloth. He dropped the dress gloves and pulled out the others. He felt the soft roughness of the unworn material and he avoided looking in the mirror as he slipped them on his hands. Keeping his face still he picked up his watch and for the first time in a very long time, he clipped the chain to his belt beneath the cummerbund and let it loop at his hip.

He looked at his reflection and it smiled back at him.

* * *

Edward stared at the stranger in the mirror.

The gown was long and sleek, falling over her feet in soft folds. Dark blue, so dark it was almost black and soft. Her left shoulder was bare and golden skin glowed above the material as it curved under her arm to be gathered slightly, pulling the folds to the left, defining the bodice. The right shoulder was covered and the sleeve was three quarter length. She slowly pulled on her gloves. Dark to match the gown.

She swallowed. That wasn't her there. She was tempted to let her hair down just to find something familiar. She turned her head slightly and the golden length brushed against her right shoulder before falling back. She ran her left hand over her right arm. The automail was hidden, no-one would know it was there. She ran her fingers along the slope of the neckline and resisted the urge to tug at it. It felt very strange to have her shoulder bared like that. It made her neck seem longer than normal. She flattened her hands against her sides and smoothed them down over her hips. There was shape there, curves and lines that were no longer masculine, no longer male.

She bit her lip. It was one thing to know you were female on the outside, it was another to actually see it. Wearing a uniform, running around in jeans and even the skirt hadn't brought her physical shape into as much clarity as this did. Despite showering and shaving and all the other female duties, she had not realised the completeness of the change.

There was nothing male about her. It was all on the inside. The outside was completely female. Ed blinked rapidly. No wonder the others had found it easy to shift from 'him' to 'her'. No wonder they had found it hard to understand that she still thought herself male. Edward stared at herself. Was she still male on the inside? Or was that just stubbornness on her part? No, she shook her head. She was Edward and Edward was still male. Edward didn't understand being female. Edward didn't understand how women thought and if _he_ didn't understand it, then _he_ must still be male. Because only other women could understand women. Right?

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best logic, Ed thought. But it was the best she could think of at the moment. It was hardly logical to say you were not female because you just _knew_ you were still male. Because it was a feeling you had, that you just couldn't deny.

Like being attracted to Roy Mustang.

Elysia entered just as Edward groaned.

"Wow, you look pretty Sis!" She exclaimed. Her eyes were bright and she walked over to circle Ed with a smile. "I want to wear my hair like that!"

Ed smiled at the small girl. "Your mother did mine, you'll have to ask her." Seeing approval, even in the eyes of an eight year old, was reassuring she thought and she looked around to get her shoes. With her shoes on, the gown's hem just brushed the floor and she appeared suddenly slimmer and taller. She took a deep breath before she let Elysia lead her downstairs to where the others were.

"What if he doesn't notice me?" Schieska was saying as they entered and Ed wondered what she was talking about. Gracia and Schieska turned and stared.

Slender and elegant. The dark midnight blue a perfect foil for her golden hair and skin. The long line of her neck to the wide golden eyes. With her hair pulled back, the changes to her facial structure were more noticeable. The jaw-line and forehead were no longer so square and her chin smaller. Her cheekbones appeared higher and her lips fuller. One golden eyebrow rose as they kept staring and Edward could feel her cheeks going red.

"Isn't Sis pretty?" Elysia asked as she crossed the room to her mother.

"Yes. Very pretty." Gracia agreed with a smile.

"What about makeup?" Schieska asked and Edward frowned.

"No."

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang was furious. He was angry, irate and completely pissed off.

The sergeant who was standing in front of him was shaking and pale.

"Why were these not given to me earlier?" He demanded.

"The Parade, Sir." She managed to say.

"What was wrong with yesterday?"

"The Parade rehearsal, Sir."

"Which did not encompass all day, sergeant." He pointed out coldly.

"They weren't all signed in time, Sir."

Roy Mustang closed his eye and took a deep breath. He opened his eye and stared at the terrified woman. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, but he was going to shoot the messenger anyway.

"Very well Corporal. Give them to me."

She held out the folders and placed them in his hand, her eyes wide at her sudden demotion.

"You can wait right here while I do this." He stared hard at her and she swallowed.

"Yes Sir." She literally squeaked and watched him stride into the closest office, slamming the door behind him. Even through the door she could hear him cursing.

* * *

Edward paced the lounge room. The gown swirled around her and her hair gleamed. She had won the no makeup argument but had lost the accessory debate. Gracia had lent her a golden bracelet that she had placed on her right arm and they had placed two dark silk flowers in her chignon. She had flatly refused anything else. She looked up as Gracia entered.

"Is she ok?"

"Just a headache. From all the excitement, I think." She smiled but her eyes were tired.

"I'll come back here after the Ball, Gracia and help."

"You can't do that Ed. It's just a headache." Gracia protested.

"I want to, Gracia. Besides, you look like you need some sleep too." Ed said bluntly. "And with me here, I can look after her in the morning and you can sleep in as long as you need tomorrow."

Gracia saw the determined look in Ed's eyes and knew she wasn't going to win this one and she really did feel tired, so she smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Okay Edward, I accept. As long as you promise to tell me everything that happens at the Ball."

Ed laughed. "Like anything's going to happen there."

"You never know, Edward. The Ball generates more rumours and stories than any other event." Riza said from the door and smiled as she entered.

Clad in dark crimson, her hair swept over to one side and falling across her shoulder, Riza looked nothing like the efficient captain Edward knew. Even Jean had become a stranger to her and she had to blink a few times to realise that it really was them. She didn't realise they were feeling something similar as they looked at her.

Schieska appeared in a gown of deep green to match her hair ribbon. "Elysia says I meet with her approval." She smiled as she twirled slightly. The others smiled and Edward looked a bit bemused. It was all coming a bit fast now.

"Well, allow me to have the pleasure of escorting the three most loveliest of ladies to the Ball." Jean Havoc said as he bowed to them. They laughed and he smiled at them. His eyes lingered on Edward. She really did look lovely. He could not wait to see the Chief's reaction and judging from the gleam in Riza's eyes, neither could she.

His smile was wide as he ushered them out to the car.

* * *

Roy Mustang kept swearing as he opened the first file. Postings for the new State Alchemists. Read and initial.

Why couldn't they have given this to him before? He could have done this last night. He could have done this after the Parade earlier. Hell, he could have done this as he stood on the damned podium. He could have slipped out of that reception to do this. They could have found a better time for this than lying in wait for him to appear tonight. He should be at the Ball waiting for Edward to arrive.

He initialed the wrong line and had to initial the change with a curse. He was booked to leave early tomorrow morning and he had to see Edward tonight. Damn, he mis-spelt his own name. Calm down Roy, he told himself. You have time. Just read and sign and breathe. Come on you can do this. Read that line, yes now sign right there. Good, now let's read this next paragraph. Initial that one. Good, see you can do it.

He talked himself through two files before he realised he'd been using a pencil and not the pen.

* * *

Edward looked around the Ballroom. She stood with the others near the large staircase and felt a bit blinded by the whiteness of all the marble around her. Pillars and walls shone and although they were draped with flags and banners, there was still enough showing through to be very distracting to the eyes.

"Lieutenant-Colonel?" A voice asked beside her and she turned to see Falman standing there.

She smiled at him and he blinked. "Umm, if you would come this way, the Fuhrer is waiting."

She frowned at him. "I thought the Ball started later?"

"We're running ahead of schedule." He said and she laughed. She waved to the others and grimaced slightly at Riza's grin. Schieska gave her such a hard meaningful stare that Ed was puzzled and decided to ask her about it later on.

"Edward looks calmer now." Riza said softly as they watched her go down the stairs. Heads turned to follow the blonde but she didn't see them. She was too busy trying to find a dark-haired Brigadier-General.

"I think it's a front." Jean murmured back.

They both looked around and then glanced at each other. Where was Roy?

* * *

Fuhrer Sterben smiled at the elegant blonde woman as she was escorted to where he stood. She smiled back and he bowed his head to her. She wondered whether she should salute him but then just bowed her head in reply.

"You look very lovely, Lieutenant-Colonel." He said. "I am glad you accepted my offer of so long ago."

"You look quite good yourself, Sir." She replied with a grin. "And you hardly made it possible for me to refuse."

"The option was there." He smiled again, but he knew she had spoken truly. He really hadn't given her a choice once he had decided to share Mustang's story with her. And she had done what he had hoped. She had brought Mustang out. Out to where he could be useful again. Out to where the Fuhrer could use him. The Fuhrer had plans for his Brigadier-General, and this blonde had become central to them.

He watched as she looked around the room and the little twist of her lips when she didn't find whatever it was she was looking for. His eyes gleamed and he looked around the room too. Given the way Mustang had reacted to the news of Edward opening the Ball tonight and also to his suggestion of taking her on the inspection tour, he expected to see him here already. But he could see no signs of him. It didn't take a genius to realise that Mustang was attracted, but it was harder to understand why he wasn't here. And given the way Edward was looking around again, it appeared she expected to see him here too.

The light background music faded away and the lights changed as the Master of Ceremonies took his place on the raised platform where the small orchestra was situated.

Edward didn't hear what he said, she was too busy trying to see where Mustang was. It felt wrong for him not to be here. What if she did something wrong? What if she forgot what steps to do? Why wasn't he here? She saw Riza to one side and that looked like Schieska and was that Ross in the black there too? But where was Mustang?

The Fuhrer held his hand out and she placed her hand in his automatically. He blinked at the feel of automail before he smiled and led her to the middle of the floor. Polite clapping and whispers died away as the music started and his hand was at her waist and she stepped back correctly. She kept trying to see over his shoulder but he was much taller and it was very hard to see anything but his beribboned jacket.

This was very different to dancing with Mustang she thought as she tried yet again to see where he was. The hand at her waist didn't feel like it branded her skin and there was no sense of heat between them. It was comfortable, in a bland way.

The Fuhrer smiled again and his eyes swept the crowd. He couldn't see Mustang either and he didn't think the blonde he was holding realised that her right hand was starting to grip his left hand rather tightly as she couldn't find him.

"He's not here." He said softly and her hand nearly crushed his fingers.

"I know…" She stopped and he could hear her curse.

He laughed quietly. "You really shouldn't say that when we're dancing, Edward."

She grinned wryly. "They were the only words that fit the occasion, Sir."

"I'll have to have them added to the list of Protocols for military behaviour." He said lightly and she smiled. "And maybe you could loosen your grip on my fingers too." He said plaintively.

* * *

If Roy Mustang had been furious earlier, now he was positively livid, incandescent with the anger that flooded through him and visibly shaking with it. The very air around him was becoming combustible.

The pencil had long since turned to ash and the desk he was at was in grave danger of following. He stared at the last file and its contents. He looked at the clock. He had ten minutes before the Ball was due to start. He looked at the folder again. He was going to take this one with him.

Edward Elric's file. And her posting orders.

* * *

Riza and Jean watched Edward dance with the Fuhrer as did everyone else. The gown swirled and flowed around her and her hair shimmered. Golden eyes and skin shone and she looked quite composed. But Riza could see those eyes continually looking for something or someone, and her eyes would do the same. Where was Roy? It was completely unheard of him to miss the Ball, no matter how much he detested it, he had never not shown up before. He had never been late.

And she had not doubted for one moment that he would miss being here this year. Not with Edward here. Not after what she had seen yesterday. What was the man thinking of? It was just so unlike him. She shared a worried look with Jean. This just wasn't normal Roy Mustang behaviour.

Riza saw Edward smile at something the Fuhrer said even as her eyes scanned the crowd again.

Edward and the Fuhrer finished the dance and they bowed to each other. No-one had thought to teach Edward to curtsey at the end of a dance. The Fuhrer offered her his arm and led her from the floor as the orchestra began another waltz and the floor began to fill with people.

"You danced well." The Fuhrer remarked as the crowd parted for them and the Fuhrer led her towards a small table.

"Mustang taught me." She replied automatically as she looked around again. She missed seeing the grin that came and went across the Fuhrer's face.

"I'm surprised he's not here yet."

"So am I." She muttered.

A corporal approached with a folded note and saluted before passing it to the Fuhrer. Edward ignored it as she looked around again. Where was he? He was supposed to be here so she could say no when he asked her to dance. He had to be here.

"This is for you, Edward." The Fuhrer said and Edward stared at him. She took the piece of paper and hurriedly read it. Her face paled.

"I have to go."

"You can use my car."

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang stalked into the large ballroom and looked around. People were dancing and he frowned. It was still five minutes before the Ball was due to start. Why were they dancing? And where was Edward? He looked around but he couldn't see her blonde hair anywhere. He pushed his way into the crowd and ignored the looks he received.

"Roy!" He turned and saw Riza and Jean and made his way across to them.

"Where is Edward? Why is everyone dancing?" He demanded.

"The Ball started fifteen minutes ago, Roy. You're late." He blinked at her and she took a step back. Roy Mustang was furious. He had a folder in his hand and he was absolutely furious.

"Late? The Ball is not supposed to start for another five minutes."

"It began early." She frowned at him. "Are you alright? What happened, Roy?"

"Where is Edward? And the Fuhrer?" His eye scanned the room.

"You just missed them dancing. I believe they went that way." Riza pointed and Roy was gone.

She stared after him. She had never seen him so angry.

"What was all that about?" Jean said as he came up beside her.

"I have no idea. But it can't be good." She blinked. "He even had his ignition gloves on."

They looked at each other.

"Maybe we should get the others."

* * *

He had missed seeing her dance. Roy cursed deeply. Now he was really angry. His whole evening was turning into one big nightmare. He had to regain some control of himself. He would talk to the Fuhrer about the file's contents and then he would find Edward and ask her to dance. He needed to calm down. This could all be salvaged if he could remain calm.

He strode through the small clusters of people and ignored those who called after him. He would apologise later, right now he had more important things to do.

He found the Fuhrer coming back into the room through one of the many doors.

"Ah, Sir, if I might have just a moment." He said firmly and the Fuhrer stared at him.

"Certainly, Mustang. Privately?" He asked as he saw the determined look on the Brigadier-General's face and was not surprised when the man nodded. His eyebrow rose as he realised Mustang was carrying a file but said nothing as they slipped back out the door to the small salon.

"Have you seen this, Sir?" Mustang asked as he held the file up.

"No. What is it?"

"Edward Elric's posting." Mustang almost spat the words and the Fuhrer held his hand out for the file. Mustang gave it to him and began pacing around the room.

"I will not sign them. She is not to be posted anywhere!" He said firmly. The Fuhrer ignored the file in his hand for a moment and just watched Mustang. The man was extremely angry.

"She stays under my command! I don't know who thinks he can just send her off to the North, but I will not allow it!" Mustang took a deep breath. "She is _my_ Lieutenant-Colonel, not some replacement for someone else!"

The Fuhrer looked down at the file and scanned the pages. Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric, posted to Northern Headquarters for six months, to serve under Major-General Byrne in response to a request for a replacement as the current Lieutenant-Colonel stationed there was being transferred.

"I assume that Edward has not been informed of this?" The Fuhrer asked.

"Of course not. They would have notified her while I was away and she'd have been gone before I returned!" He glared at the Fuhrer. "I will not allow this. I was under the impression that her re-enlistment conditions would have her stationed here! In my office!"

"Mustang… Roy… calm down." Fuhrer Sterben said as he looked at the file again. He heard Mustang taking deep breaths and he waited awhile before he looked up. The man looked a bit calmer, but still very determined.

"If you will not sign these and I do not sign them, these orders will not carried out." The Fuhrer stated and saw Mustang nod. "However, it is a legitimate request, therefore you will have to appoint someone to fill that position. Otherwise there is no valid reason for either of us to refuse to sign these."

"I'm leaving tomorrow. How can I appoint someone before then? I don't know who's available." Mustang frowned and he fought to control his temper. Damn the man for being logical. If he had his way, the idiot who had formulated these orders would be going as the replacement.

"I'll have my office organize the files of all suitable personnel tonight and you can take them with you. You have the week, Roy. After that, the orders will have to be signed."

Mustang raised his eyebrow and met the understanding eyes. The two stared at each other for a long moment. Mustang took a slow breath and the tension in his face eased slightly. He raised his arm and saluted as he accepted the terms. He made his choice. He would take the more active role in this military.

"Yes Sir."

The Fuhrer smiled and nodded. Between the two of them, Edward and Mustang would make a potent team because he knew that Mustang would definitely find someone else to post North.

"And my thanks to you, Mustang." The Fuhrer said lightly and saw the dark eyebrow rise in a querying manner. "For teaching Edward to dance. She was most graceful."

"Thank you Sir. She was a joy to teach." He replied automatically as they left the small room and paused in the doorway to the Ballroom. He bit down on the resentment that he hadn't seen her dance. Mustang looked and couldn't see the golden head.

"Where is she?" He muttered.

"The hospital." The Fuhrer replied. And saw Mustang go whiter than his shirt.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Little Elysia Hughes is very ill."

* * *

Edward Elric hated hospitals. But she could see that they terrified Gracia. Ed had been in and out of enough hospitals but Gracia had had very little to do with them. And to see her little girl lying there while the staff attached drips and drew blinds and stayed very quiet was the worst nightmare a mother could ever have.

When Ed had arrived she had gone straight in, ignoring all the staff and found Gracia shaking and distraught. She had wrapped her arms around her as the doctor and nurses had been taking care of Elysia. She had ignored all of Gracia's broken apologies for interrupting the Ball and told her it was all okay and this was more important and Elysia needed her to be calm and strong and that_ he_ was here,_ he_ wasn't going to leave. Ed held her and felt her trembling as she struggled for self-control. Gracia was strong, she wasn't going to break down here but she needed the support and Ed had promised and she was never going to let them down.

She watched the doctors over Gracia's shoulder and shook her head when they signaled for them to leave. There was no way she was going to leave Elysia alone. She met the doctor's look with a determined stare and didn't blink as he frowned at her. He had to be really pushing it if he thought Edward Elric was going to obey a doctor. She didn't do that when she was sick.

They were attaching another bag to the drip and a shunt into her arm. Ed kept Gracia from seeing what they were doing and watched as they turned her on to her side. She could see a rash on the fair skin and kept herself still as she saw the needles they were using. She really hated those things but she didn't want Gracia to see. Fluid was filling the syringes and they were rushed away as soon as it was deemed sufficient.

Elysia was whimpering softly and Ed tightened her hold on Gracia as she heard it and began to turn.

"Not yet, Gracia." She murmured. "Not yet."

"Ed…"

"It's okay, Gracia. It won't be long now." And Ed looked at the doctor with a raised eyebrow. He nodded. "Soon, Gracia, soon."

The doctor watched the two women as he resettled the little girl back onto the bed. The golden haired one had obviously come from the military Ball. Her state of dress and the way she had refused to be intimidated by him was proof of that. He had never seen eyes that gold before and she had watched the procedure impassively. He wondered what injuries she had seen to allow her to remain so calm. But he was glad she was here. The child's mother needed her. If this was what he suspected it to be, then he was very glad she had someone with her.

He approached them and Ed relaxed her grip slightly and Gracia turned around. Her face was pale and stained but she met the doctor's eyes with a determined expression. Ed stayed beside her and kept her arm around her.

"She's very sick and we are doing all we can."

"What… what is it, doctor?" Gracia asked.

"We don't know for sure," he began and saw a blonde eyebrow rise. "We're running some tests and they will tell us what we're dealing with. For now all we can do is wait. We're putting antibiotics in to help and we'll be able to adjust them once we know exactly what it is that's causing this."

"How sick is she?" Gracia asked hesitantly, her eyes staring at her little princess. Her eyes tracked the drip lines and saw shimmering sweat on the pale little face.

"She's very sick, Mrs Hughes." He said solemnly.

"Gracia, why don't you sit here with her?" Edward said gently and the doctor caught her hard stare and nodded.

"Yes, Mrs Hughes." The doctor said as brought a chair over and watched the blonde help her friend into it. She watched as Gracia held her daughter's hand and he saw the lips tighten before she turned to look at him.

Edward moved away and grasped the doctor's arm with her right hand, pulling him aside. His eyes went wide as he felt the grip of automail. That answered a few of his questions.

"How bad is it, doc?" The blonde asked bluntly in a soft voice. He looked into the intent eyes and knew she was not going to accept anything other than the truth. He sighed.

"If she'd gotten here an hour later, I'd be telling her that her daughter was dead." He said just as bluntly and just as softly. The golden eyes closed briefly and when they opened again he saw the pain.

"What is it?" She asked, not letting anything show in her voice.

"I think its bacterial meningitis, but I need the tests to confirm that and to tell us which one it is." He looked at her and Edward just blinked at him. He took a breath. "The most basic explanation is that it's a swelling of the membranes around the brain caused by bacteria or an infection." He saw comprehension appear in the golden eyes and heard the sudden intake of breath. "We can not do anything more until we know. It's been caught early and she has a good chance for survival. We just have to hope now."

They both looked over at Gracia as she sat there. "Is there any other family?"

"No, her father died. But there are some people who need to know. We won't let either of them be alone." Ed said and he saw the determination in her face. "Thank you doctor." She said and he had the feeling she didn't say that too often.

She stayed watching the steady rise and fall of Elysia's chest for a while. The nurses came in every few minutes and Edward slipped out as her eyes burned. She had to make those calls and then she had to go back in there. She had promised.

She heard the door close behind her as she left, her gloved hand pressed against her eyes and walked straight into a black jacket.

* * *

Roy Mustang strode down the hospital corridors. He had had to threaten four nurses and several doctors before they would tell him where Elysia was. He had taken the first car from the ranked drivers out the front of Headquarters and threatened the driver rather violently to get him to drive to the hospital.

He was shaking as his stomach churned in the most unpleasant manner. Nothing could happen to Elysia. Nothing was going to happen to her. He would never be able to look Gracia in the eyes if anything happened to her. God, Maes would come back and haunt him forever. He had promised to always be there for them. He couldn't let them down now.

And Edward. He knew she loved Elysia. He had seen them together at the party and he knew that she held herself responsible for them as well. He hadn't forgotten her words in the library that night.

He went around another corner. Damn, this place was a maze. A door opened and a slim woman in a long dark gown appeared. She lifted a gloved hand to her eyes and his pace faltered slightly. She had golden hair that he recognized and he took another step closer as she kept moving.

He felt the shock of contact all the way through him. For a moment he was convinced his heart had stopped. His breath caught and his arms automatically went around her but he stopped from actually touching her. He looked down and saw her take a step back.

"Edward." He said softly and she stopped. She stood there, his arms a mere inch from actually holding her. Her arms fell to her sides and she lowered her head. Her voice was small as she leant forward slightly and rested her head against his chin.

"She's sick, Mustang. She's very, very sick."

* * *

Author's Note: I know I'm bad for leaving it there, but this chapter just kept on writing itself. It's the longest one I've ever written.

And bacterial meningitis is really that dangerous and the symptoms are headaches, stiff neck, and high fever. Light sensitivity and vomiting and a rash are also common symptoms but not all of them will appear at the same time.

Thank you again to all the responses and comments. They make me smile, they keep me writing and I know I could never do this without you all there. Grazie molto.

silken :)


	20. The Week After

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Week After  
**

Riza Hawkeye scanned the Ballroom. Neither Edward nor Roy were in sight. Jean came back with Fuery and Breda who were looking a bit startled at being summoned.

"No sign of them." Havoc said as he stood beside her.

"What is going on?" Fuery asked.

"The Brigadier-General just came through, very angry and wearing his gloves." Hawkeye said succinctly and they stared at her.

"Why?" Was all Breda could say.

"I don't know and he went off to see the Fuhrer and Edward. He had a file with him." Hawkeye scanned the crowd again. "He hasn't reappeared yet. Have either of you seen any of them?"

Both shook their heads and Hawkeye frowned. This was highly irregular behaviour on Roy's part. He had never shown anger at any official function before. He had never shown any emotion at any function before. He would conceal his boredom and distaste behind that frozen distant manner of his. He always kept a tight rein on his temper and the only time she had seen him close to this angry had been the day Edward had returned. She couldn't even remember the last time she had seen him wear his arrayed gloves to a formal function.

She felt a bit worried. She had expected him to be here to see Edward but he had been late. Something had kept him from getting here. Maybe whatever was in that file was to blame, which made it something official and serious if he had brought it with him. Mustang's dislike of paperwork was legendary.

"Breda, go and get Falman and Fuery, you get Ross. If he needs us, then we'll be ready." Hawkeye directed and they left, slipping through the crowd.

"You think it's that serious, Riz?" Jean asked with a slight frown.

"I don't know, but it's just so unlike Roy to behave that way. He has to have a solid reason for it."

* * *

Roy Mustang found himself stuck right on the horns of a dilemma. Edward's head was at his chin. If she lifted her head slightly he could kiss her forehead. If he could close his arms he would be holding her. But Elysia was ill and this was not the time or the place to be thinking of such things. Edward was upset. He could see it in the tense lines of her body as she stood there. He could feel it in her shaky breath at his throat.

But Edward would not appreciate him drawing attention to it and so he slowly lowered his arms to his sides and let her stand there for a silent moment. When he saw her begin to shake, he lifted his gloved hand and placed it under her chin and lifted her face up to his. He noticed the slightly watery look to her eyes and kept his voice soft.

"Tell me." He watched her blink and take a deep breath. He was slightly surprised that she didn't pull back from him.

"They say it's some kind of infection but it's around her brain. They need to get some test results back to treat it properly." Edward looked at him, noting how pale he looked. She didn't question why he was here. Maes' daughter was sick, where else would Mustang be? It was almost a natural Law. She continued. "If she hadn't gotten here so fast, she would've died. And even now, it's still very bad."

His jaw tightened and she felt his fingers tremble at her chin. He looked like she felt and she could feel his breath against her face as he regained his control.

"How is Gracia?" He asked, and found himself noticing how long her eyelashes were and then blinking to bring himself back to where he was.

"She's there. She's being strong." Ed said slowly. "She won't break down here, not while Elysia needs her."

Ed sighed and eased her chin out of Mustang's fingers, turning her head to stare at the door behind her. "She'll be staying for as long as it takes."

Roy followed Ed's movement and stared at the door. He looked back as Edward pressed her hand to her eyes again and she caught him looking.

"My eyes itch." She muttered and turned away slightly and he smiled. Edward didn't like being caught out showing her feelings. He looked at the door and took a deep breath and clamped down on the fear he felt. She wasn't the only one he thought.

He stepped to the door and paused. His hand shook as he reached for the handle and he frowned at it before gripping the handle tight. He was suddenly startled by the feel of Edward's shoulder against his upper arm. He turned her head and saw her looking at his hand on the door.

"You have to push it, not pull." Was all she said in a non-committal tone, but she stayed at his side as he pushed it this time and entered the room with him.

* * *

Gracia was sitting, leant forward and Elysia's hand held in hers. Her face was white and she was tense. She looked up as they entered and Ed smiled at her.

"Look what the cat dragged in." She said in a low light tone and saw Gracia try to smile back. Roy's first step was hesitant but then he walked to her and as she stood up he hugged her, looking over her shoulder at the small girl on the bed. Elysia seemed smaller than ever as she lay there. Her face was pale and there were dark shadows under her closed eyes. She seemed so fragile and thin. Sweat shimmered across her face and fluid dripped in a steady stream into her through the tubes attached to her thin arm.

Edward sat by Elysia as Gracia kept a hold on Roy. Gracia bit her lips and blinked hard against Roy's shoulder. She knew he would come although she hadn't expected him to hug her so readily. It wasn't the same as being held by Maes, nothing was ever going to be the same as that, but he was male and it was that strength he offered that she needed. A solidity to counter the sudden frailty she had found in her daughter. It took several shuddering breaths before she managed to defeat the urge to burst into tears. She was not going to break down here, not yet. Not until she knew. Elysia had been all that had kept her sane and alive after Maes had died. Elysia was her last link to him. If she lost Elysia, she would lose him again.

Roy felt Gracia shaking and was glad to be here. He felt slightly uncomfortable but knew that his discomfort was something to be ignored at the moment. His best friend's wife needed him and he was here. There was nowhere else he could be. Offering comfort like this was strange. He had never been in this position before. He looked at Edward but she was concentrating on Elysia. Since her return he had found sides of himself he had long forgotten he had ever had. When was the last time he had offered support and comfort like this? He couldn't remember. Even when Maes had died, he hadn't been able comfort Gracia like this. He felt disappointed in himself and wondered why he had never seen his isolation as something to regret before.

He had thought he was protecting himself and them, but now he realised that it had been selfish. He had become aware that he had closed himself off from his crew and he had begun to move back out into the open in the office. But now he was aware that there were others he had let down as well. If he was going to become active in his professional life, then he would have to become more open in his personal life too. And that was the thought that had him caught. How open should he be? How open could he be before he closed back up again?

Gracia took a deep breath and straightened up, lifting her head from his shoulder. He looked down at her and he smiled. Gracia blinked and managed a small smile in return.

"Thank you." She said simply and he shook his head slightly.

"No need for thanks, Gracia. You don't think I, or any of us would let you be alone at a time like this?" He asked rhetorically and she shook her head. No, she knew that. It was Roy and Edward and all the others who would keep her going for her daughter's sake. She turned and saw Ed lightly brushing her fingers down Elysia's arm. She turned back to Roy.

"And I ruined your evening as well." She said in a soft stricken tone.

"You know I never liked those occasions, Gracia." He kept his smile in place and it didn't feel forced. "I'd rather be here. And we both know Edward feels the same." He said sincerely and saw her relax slightly and her smile became more natural. They looked at Edward who was still stroking Elysia's arm.

"What are you doing, Edward?" Gracia questioned softly.

"Mamma used to do it." Ed replied absently, her eyes fixed on Elysia's face. "I remember her doing it when Al was sick. She used to sing as she did it, but I can't remember the words." Edward hummed for a moment and Gracia shook her head.

"I don't recognize it." She said.

"I think it was something she got from Dad."

"You never speak about him." Gracia said gently and Ed shook her head, the golden length slipping across her back as she turned to face her.

"That's what Ross was asking about this morning." Ed said lightly. That made twice now she thought, that the subject had come up today. "There's really nothing to talk about." She said dismissively and turned back to Elysia. Gracia exchanged a quick glance with Roy and could see that he was not surprised by Ed's attitude. She tilted her head slightly with a querying look on her face and he just smiled and shook his head. He wasn't going to answer her question.

Roy watched Edward and his eye followed the way her hair looped to sit at the back of her neck and the long length down her back that made his fingers itch. It had been the hair that had told him the slim woman he had seen outside had been Edward. He wouldn't have recognized her otherwise. He had seen a slender elegant woman, he hadn't seen Edward. And then he had recognized the hair and she had walked into him. The shock of contact had stolen his breath. He hadn't been that affected by a single touch before. He had seen Edward react to his touch, oh yes she had quivered for him and he was never going to forget that moment. But never had _he_ reacted to a touch. It just wasn't something that happened to him. So why had his heart stopped when she had walked into him?

He frowned. This was not the time to be thinking of things like that. There were much more important things to worry about and his eye went to Elysia. He had a week to think about his future, he had a week to wonder about Edward and … How could he leave now? He couldn't leave now, not when Elysia was so sick and his best friend's family needed him. No-one would expect him to go now. But Roy knew he would go. He was going to delay for as long as he could, but he would go. It was a duty and a responsibility. And earlier today, hadn't he decided to take up his responsibilities and duties?

* * *

Hawkeye scanned the Ballroom yet again and could not see her targets. Fuery had been sent back to the office to see if there were any clues there and Breda had been detailed to check the doors and exits.

"According to one semi-intelligent private, a lovely blonde left in a hurry in the Fuhrer's car." Breda reported as soon as he returned. "Soon after apparently, a very pale one-eyed man came rushing out and threatened the first driver with 'flames up your ass if you don't move now'. The private was most impressed with the language the Brigadier-General was using."

"Nothing at the office." An out of breath Fuery suddenly said as he lurched into the group. "But there's some story about Mustang demoting a sergeant on the spot because she gave him some paperwork going around." They all looked at him.

"That's a bit extreme, even for Roy." Hawkeye said in disbelief. Havoc nudged her.

"The Fuhrer's back." He muttered and they all turned to watch the tall man as he smiled politely at a solid yellow lady. The Fuhrer looked up and caught their gaze briefly before he excused himself and began to walk across.

"Who's the lemon?" Breda asked.

"Lady General Montgomery." Havoc replied absently. "I think we're about to get some real answers now." He added softly.

Pale eyes looked over the small group and the Fuhrer held back his smile. Mustang really was lucky, he thought. He had a staff that was loyal beyond the meaning of the word. It showed on their faces and in the solidarity they projected when they stood in a group like this. In six weeks the annual round of promotions would begin. He wondered if any of them would accept this year or if he would get the same list of polite refusals he always received. Perhaps he should transfer them all together to get them to accept the promotions this time. A small smile curved his lip. And maybe Mustang as well.

He sobered as he drew near. They knew something was wrong. He had seen that from the other side of the room. Loyalty had bred deeper ties of friendship between this small unit. There were very few secrets between them, and outsiders would never be completely accepted.

"Captain Hawkeye." Fuhrer Sterben said in cordial tones and he nodded his head to the others.

"Sir." Hawkeye said formally and saluted. "We were wondering where the Brigadier-General and Lieutenant-Colonel had gone, Sir." She remarked bluntly and he did smile at her but his eyes remained sober.

"I didn't expect otherwise, Captain. Both have gone to the hospital and I daresay you will all be leaving now to follow them." He replied. Eyes went wide and he saw them all stiffen, a strict control exerted by each one.

"If I may enquire Sir, as to why they have gone there?" Hawkeye asked.

"Elysia Hughes is ill."

Hawkeye turned to the group. "Breda, get the cars. Fuery, get Falman. He and Schieska went to check the dorm. Jean, Ross is with Armstrong. Can you get her, _without_ alerting the Colonel? Or if you can't, get him to stay and run interference for us."

They scattered at her brisk commands and the Fuhrer was impressed. Mustang's crew were more than loyal, they were intelligent and efficient as well. The captain looked a bit self-conscious as she turned back to him.

"Tell Mustang that all arrangements have been made and the files will be waiting for him tomorrow, Captain." The Fuhrer said, ignoring her display of authority.

"Thank you Sir." Hawkeye saluted and the Fuhrer stepped back to allow her to leave. He watched as they left in a concerted and discreet group. Very efficient indeed, he thought and turned back to the Ball, various plans turning in his mind.

* * *

Edward moved away from the bed and Gracia took her place. Roy leant against the wall and watched as Edward approached. He was startled by the different shape her face had with her hair pulled back and it was hard to stop his eye from tracing the line down the side of her neck. She didn't seem to be aware of his look so his eye followed the line across her bare shoulder.

"We have to let the others know." Ed said softly and Roy blinked, cursing himself. "I was going to do that when you arrived." She added.

"I think the Fuhrer will tell them, Edward. He told me." Roy replied quietly.

"If I hadn't been at the Ball, I could have been with Gracia." Ed muttered guiltily and he frowned at her.

"You could not have known this would happen, Edward."

"She had a headache earlier. I should have known something was wrong."

"Edward. Stop. You are not omnipotent and not everything that happens is your fault." He looked down at her and she shook her head as she looked up at him.

"Tell me you're not feeling the same." She challenged and he was unable to completely refute her words.

"I'm not blaming myself for not knowing this would happen, Edward."

"That's not the same."

"It is the same, Edward. Just because Elysia had a headache does not mean you would've known it could or even would get worse."

"But I could have been there."

"Could you have prevented this?"

"No, but…"

"Then stop thinking it's your fault."

Edward glared at him. Why did he have to make sense and not leave her to wallow for a bit longer? He was like Al, talking her out of her more irrational moments. He didn't glare back at her and she sighed. There really wasn't a reason to cling to blame here but it was just so easy to reach for it.

"Have I told you I hate you?" She muttered as she looked away.

"Not today, Edward." He said and she could hear the smile in his voice. His smile disappeared and she tensed as the door opened and the doctor and a nurse entered.

The doctor hesitated slightly at the sight of an extra person in the room, but the two women seemed completely accepting of his presence so he said nothing and went to the bed to check on the little girl. The nurse had a replacement bag for the drip on a tray along with several small ampoules.

"How is she, doctor?" Gracia asked and Edward and Roy stepped closer.

"She's holding her own, Mrs Hughes." He said sympathetically. "She's still very sick, but her fever hasn't spiked higher and she's remaining stable."

Edward and Roy had both had enough experience with hospitals to recognize a doctor putting on a reassuring front and they exchanged a quick glance and a nod. When the doctor began to leave after overseeing the changing of the drip and the additional antibiotics he found himself flanked by the two of them and they escorted him out of the room.

One dark eye and two golden ones appraised him. He already knew the strength of character within the blonde and the dark haired man seemed equally strong.

"Tell us, Doc." Edward said.

"The tests aren't back yet. All we can do is keep putting antibiotics into her until we can adjust them to target the correct bacteria. The longer she stays at the raised temperature, the more risk there is of damage. I will not lie, she is holding her own and she is stable but it's a fragile balance. We just hope we can bring the temperature down and not have it go higher. We do not want to lose her."

The blonde's eyes darkened but she said nothing and he accepted the nodded thanks from the dark haired man as he left. Edward watched him leave.

"We are not going to lose her." She said as soon as he had disappeared and Roy looked at her with a raised eyebrow at the tone of her voice.

"Edward." She heard it in his voice and her eyes were somber as she looked at him.

"We both know how it's done." Was all she said as they stared at each other. It was there between them. Both of them knew how the arrays went. Both of them knew the consequences. And if anything happened to Elysia, neither doubted the other would have the desire to try.

"Boss, Chief." They blinked and turned and saw Havoc and Hawkeye coming along the corridor. The others were behind them and all looked worried. Edward took a step back as Mustang went forward.

"The Fuhrer told us where you had gone and why, Sir." Hawkeye said. "How is she, Roy?" She added and didn't try to conceal the worry in her voice.

"She's sick, Riza. She's very, very sick." He said, echoing the words Edward had used earlier. "It's an infection and it's targeted around her brain. All we can do is wait at the moment."

They looked at him with sober faces and Riza and Schieska went straight past him into the room. Ross followed them in. Havoc and Breda trotted off to organize coffee and extra chairs while Fuery and Falman looked a bit lost.

Edward watched and felt a little bit relieved that they had appeared when they had. The distraction was welcome and she tried to clear the arrays from her mind. That was the problem with knowing forbidden things. They always appeared when you really didn't need the temptation. When you were more inclined to listen to that tempting little whisper. She looked at Mustang. She had figured he had some experience with forbidden alchemy from something Hughes had said once but she hadn't pursued it further. It wasn't exactly a subject you could actually talk about openly. Would he be able to go through with it, she wondered. She stared at him, frowning slightly.

He was an intelligent man and he had sides to him she had never considered him capable of having. She wouldn't deny he had a strong personality and he wouldn't hesitate to do something if he felt it was right. But would he cross that line? Did it make a difference she wondered, if you hadn't given in to the temptation? She and Al had done the unthinkable and had paid a heavy price for it. And knowing that had not stopped her from seriously considering doing it again to bring back Nina. She had slapped her hands on the wall time after time, so close to activating the array spread out in her mind. Mustang had never made the attempt and she didn't know how close he had been to making that decision. Was it easier for him to refuse because he had not tried it? Or was it harder? Being able to see where others had failed and avoiding the same mistakes, knowing that you had the skill and strength to attempt and possibly succeed where others had failed. Would he go through with it she wondered again.

Roy helped the others set up the chairs and Breda had even managed to scrounge a small table. They set chairs up on either side of the corridor. Several nurses went past and eyed them warily but they kept the way clear. They made very sure there was nothing blocking access to Elysia's door. By the time Ross emerged from the room, everything was organized and Havoc slipped in to replace her.

Ross got a coffee and then sat next to Edward who was staring at the Brigadier-General and seemed unaware that she was doing so. She was completely taken up with whatever she was thinking about. Ross knew how intensely Edward could concentrate and it was obvious that she had found something to ponder on. The Brigadier-General was staring at Edward she noticed and he also seemed to be deep in thought.

Riza had mentioned Edward being close to Gracia and Elysia and she remembered the then Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes visiting the Elrics regularly during their short stay in Central. Maria couldn't see any signs of distress in Edward but knew she had to be feeling it somewhere inside. Maria Ross had little patience for people being anything other than what they were and it bothered her to see Edward putting on a façade. She was with friends, why would she need to hide anything? It worried her because if you put up a façade then it was possible that you were also hiding from yourself. Maria Ross had felt the need to look after the Elrics when she had first met them. They had been involved in things she had felt were better left to adults and had thought it unfair for them to be shouldering burdens they ought never to have known about.

Edward had grown up. She had seen it in the mess this morning and had been pleased at that but she had felt there were still shadows there. Things Ed wasn't admitting to or letting go of. Riza had told her not to worry about it. Edward was more than capable of working her way through things and had smiled. That smile had been a bit knowing and Maria had immediately asked her to explain it but Riza had shaken her head and refused to elaborate further. She watched Edward now. She couldn't see what had made Riza smile.

Roy Mustang stared at Edward. She was looking at him speculatively and he wondered what she was thinking about. He was going to have to talk to her regarding her earlier comment. He couldn't deny that his mind had been skirting around the arrays Maes had once stopped him from using. Edward had had no-one stop her. What would have happened he wondered, if he had been ten minutes earlier that night so long ago? Would he have been able to stop them? He still remembered the stench of that room that he had looked at before following the blood trail to the Rockbells. So much blood he remembered. So much, the heavy rain had not been able to wash it away.

It was hard to imagine the woman opposite him was the same damaged child he had seen that night. It was easier to see her on the train platform that first time he had really met her. Those intense eyes and that pain in the ass attitude. It had certainly made life interesting for the next four years. He always forgot how vulnerable she could be at times like this. And it was a vulnerability she had. When she felt the people she loved and needed to protect were in danger, then she would do anything to save them, regardless of the cost to herself. She would fall prey to the demons within and he didn't know how she managed to refuse them. Or if she had ever managed to deny them.

He blinked and she blinked at the same time. They both raised an eyebrow and then both frowned. Edward could feel a slight heat in her face and thought about looking away but Mustang was still staring so she kept staring as well.

How strange she thought, the blush has gone and I'm still staring at him. Why doesn't he blink? What the hell is he thinking about? How can he stare like that and not blink? Why am I attracted to him? I've known him since I was twelve. Why now? Why him? Why me?

How warm would that blushing skin feel, he wondered. Her eyes are really gold tonight. She hasn't blinked yet. What is she thinking about? She looks a bit puzzled now. Please don't question too deep, Edward. Don't tie yourself up in knots over this, please. And you will feel so much the idiot Roy Mustang, if you knew that she wasn't thinking about you. But she has to be. She's still staring at me.

He's still staring. He looks a bit worried. Aren't we all? I wish the doctor would hurry up. I don't want to stare at Mustang all night. Do I?

Her eyes must be burning. How can she go this long without blinking? Why doesn't the doctor return? She's looking worried. I could watch her all night.

They both blinked in unison again and Edward felt a small shiver go through her as she saw something flare in that dark eye. She frowned slightly and saw his small smile and she felt herself smile back before she knew she was going to do it. Her eyes flickered.

Hurrying footsteps brought them both back to their surroundings and they stood up abruptly as the doctor hurried around the corner. Edward and Roy shared a quick glance, the smiles gone but feeling a lingering warmth inside even as they felt the gravity of the situation again, and followed him into the room.

They all watched as the doctor put the antibiotics into the drip and then turned to face them. Havoc had his hand on Riza's shoulder as she sat beside Gracia and held her hand. Edward and Roy moved to stand behind them.

"The test results are back and we can fight the infection properly now. Another hour or so and we'll be more sure of how well she's doing." He stared at them and then looked at Gracia. "She will get better. We just don't know how much better for awhile yet."

Tension eased and he saw them relax slightly. But they were military and they knew as well as he did that sometimes it wasn't the initial injury that killed you, but all the complications that came afterwards.

* * *

Fuery and Breda slipped in to sit with Gracia when they came out to inform the others how Elysia was doing. Edward slipped away from the group and made her way through the corridors to the roof she remembered from all those years ago.

She had to get away from them for a while. Elysia was not going to die and she could breathe again and not think of those arrays ever again. Until the next time, her traitorous mind whispered. No, never again she replied defiantly.

"Never again," she said as she looked up at the few stars not hidden behind the clouds. I've managed to survive twice, I don't think I would survive a third attempt. And Al would kill me if I ever did.

She had been stupid to even think about it. It didn't help that Mustang had been thinking the same either. When was she ever going to learn to leave some things well alone? She reached around to tug at her tail in her frustration at her continuing idiocy and remembered it had been styled when her head was pulled backwards as she misjudged the length.

"Damn." She muttered and lifted her hands up to try and pull the looped lengths from the smooth bun. She twisted her fingers into her hair and was grateful she still had her gloves on. She had not forgotten how it felt to get hair caught in her automail fingers.

"Stupid damn hair and stupid damned Edward." She grumbled as she felt her scalp being pulled as she tugged at one of the loops. "Damned pins, damned hair and damned fucking Edward!" She began to chant as she drove her fingers right into the bun and tried to pull them and her hair out.

"How much more stupid can I get?" She asked rhetorically as her fingers got caught in her hair. "I can't get my damned hair sorted out and I'm thinking of human transmutations? I don't know what's more pathetic."

"You are, Edward." The amused voice behind her stopped her private rant dead and she shivered as she felt fingers working into her hair and gently freeing her right hand. "Have you considered that we're all pathetic at some point, Edward?"

"It's not something I've spent hours contemplating, Mustang." She snapped back, unsettled at his sudden appearance and proximity. Was that his breath she could feel at the back of her neck?

"Neither have I, but I do recognize it." He said as he eased another strand of hair from the bun and getting her left hand free. He kept untwisting and found a veritable nest of pins buried within her hair. He began to remove them. "And I think you know it too."

"Sometimes." She admitted reluctantly. Then winced as her head was pulled back. "What are you doing, Mustang?"

"Removing pins. How the hell are they attached?" Roy asked as he tried to remove another one. He was glad he had removed his gloves before starting this. The ignition cloth would have exacerbated the situation and he would not have been able to feel the smooth silkiness of her hair. He hadn't bargained for the nails of hell that were keeping her hair up.

"Gracia buried them into my skull." She hissed slightly as another was pulled out. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you need the help, Edward." He said as he tugged again and slipped another pin into his pocket. "Although that was before I knew about these pins." Keep it light Roy, he told himself as he felt her hair slip across his fingers.

"How is Elysia?" Edward asked to distract herself from the feel of his fingers in her hair.

"Still the same." She felt his sigh at her neck. "But they think her temperature should start dropping soon."

"That's good." Ed said. "I wouldn't try it again." She added softly and his hands stilled.

"I know," was his equally soft reply and his hands started moving again. "Neither would I." She nodded and then hissed as her hair pulled.

"Were you intending to keep your hair like this for the rest of your life?" Roy asked as he removed two pins.

"No, dammit. I am never going to let Gracia near my hair again." Ed declared.

"You will keep an eye on her while I'm away, Edward." It was more command than request.

"Of course." Then his words sank in and she stiffened. "Going away? Where are you going?" Her stomach felt uneasy and her mind began shouting questions. Why hadn't she heard about this? When had this been planned? Why hadn't anyone told her before?

"It's just a tour of the Western Districts. I do it every year." He informed her and finally managed to get half of her hair out of the bun. "There has to be a trick to this," he muttered.

"Yes, the trick is not to get talked into doing it again. How long will you be gone for?" Ed asked and kept her voice light as butterflies twisted in her stomach.

"A week." He said and tried to tell himself he was not disappointed in Ed's casual acceptance of his impending absence.

"You are going to have so much paperwork waiting for you when you get back." Ed grinned to cover the sinking of her stomach. A whole week?

"I expect you to take care of it for me, Edward." Roy tugged a pin out and the rest of her hair fell down over his hands. His fingers grasped it lightly and he let it slide through them as she turned to face him.

"Me?" Her outrage might have been more effective if he hadn't seen the dismay in her eyes now that he could see her face. She didn't like the thought of him being absent for a week and she would miss him, he hoped. He relaxed slightly and smiled at her.

"Of course, Edward. You are the next highest ranked officer in the office."

"I hate paperwork." She said firmly.

"So do I, but it is a necessary evil."

"There has to be something more than just paperwork to do." Edward grumbled. "I don't want to be stuck in an office for the rest of my life."

Roy looked at her and added Edward's future to his list of things to think on over the next week. He would have to find something that would allow her the freedom to move around and yet not send her too far away. You are being selfish Roy, he told himself. I know he replied, but I can't let someone else have her. She's a member of the military, you go where you are told to, he said. Yes, and I will tell her to stay with me, he replied. That is assuming she will accept you deciding that for her, his mind pointed out.

"Mustang?" Edward asked as he stood there a frown developing on his forehead. He shook his head clear and looked at her.

"What is it?"

"You kind of spaced out there for a bit, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Edward. Just a thought."

Some thought, Edward didn't say. He had looked quite determined there. Actually, he had seemed different since he had shown up at the hospital. Something seemed to have changed. Edward couldn't decide what it was, but there was an openness about him that she hadn't felt before. She was used to trying to read between the lines of everything he said, that this lack of dissembling felt unnatural. But it would make life a lot easier, she thought.

"Now you are spacing out Edward." Mustang's amused voice made her blink. "I asked if you were ready to return."

She nodded and then paused. "Damn, I need a hair tie." She looked at her glove and wondered if she could tear a bit of the material and transmute it into a tie.

"Don't you have a spare?" Mustang queried.

"Not with me, no."

"Riza will probably have one." Mustang said.

"Why would she have a hair tie?"

"She has a bag with her. She'll have everything in there."

"How do you know that?" Ed asked as they moved to the doorway.

"Women always have everything in their bags, Edward. It's the law, I believe."

* * *

Riza did have a hair tie in her bag and Edward stared into the small bag with disbelief. The gun and spare ammunition did not surprise her, it was the rest of it that had her staring. There was makeup and tissues, a notepad and pen, a hairbrush, a small change purse, keys and other things she was not going to mention while Mustang was standing there looking over her shoulder. She closed it quickly and handed it back, before pulling her hair up into the high tail.

"I told you Edward. It's the law." Roy said and grinned as she flicked her tail at him before she went to get coffee.

Riza watched with a small smile. Roy was different tonight. Whatever had caused him such anger earlier had passed and now he was visibly calm. Knowing that the main danger to Elysia was over had eased some of the worry and even as they were aware of the continuing dangers, they were also aware there was little they could do at the moment. She watched Roy's eye follow Edward. Something had happened between them earlier. There had been a strange tension in their stance when she had first seen them. It had lingered for awhile but since they had returned it had disappeared. Knowing what she did of both their pasts, she was glad it had gone. She did not want to know what they might have been talking about.

When she had seen Edward slip away she had gone to follow her, but Roy had shaken his head and gone instead. It had surprised her to see Edward return with her hair down and she had been relieved to see that both of them seemed more relaxed. Whatever they had talked about had cleared the air between them and the hospital was still standing so they had managed to solve it in a civil manner. It was becoming obvious she thought, that Roy was attracted to Edward. And she was fairly certain that Edward was attracted to Roy. Riza remembered how Edward had behaved around him yesterday and the way she had been looking around for him at the Ball.

It was less obvious as to just how aware of the attraction they were although Riza realised that Roy of all people would recognize those feelings. Edward was the question she thought. She had no idea if Edward knew this as attraction or confusion. She remembered how she had felt when she had first realised that she was attracted to Jean. She had spent a week in a state of utter confusion before she had realised what it was. And then she had spent another two weeks in denial.

Edward returned and Riza watched as she sat in the chair next to Roy with no apparent hesitation. It was the only free chair as Breda had stretched out across the others and was dozing. Riza studied her for a long moment. She didn't seem uncomfortable or tense at being that close to him, so maybe she wasn't aware of it Riza thought. But then Riza noticed the slight tensing of Edward's right hand at her side and saw the way the golden eyes did not look to the man on her left. Her lips curled before her face became blank. Edward knew. Riza met Edward's eyes and Edward went slightly pink and fidgeted slightly. Edward knew it as attraction. Riza kept her face blank. Things were going to be very interesting at the office, she thought.

Schieska and Falman came out of the room and Edward and Roy stood up at the same time. There was a quick look between them and then rueful smiles appeared and they both went into the room. Jean leant close and murmured at her ear.

"Definitely more than friends." She nodded and turned her head slightly to smile at him.

"Definitely."

* * *

Gracia looked up and smiled tiredly at them. Ed frowned and walked over to look at the seated woman.

"You need a break, Gracia." She said in a low firm tone and Gracia began to shake her head.

"No, Edward, I have to stay here."

"Not for the next ten minutes you don't." She looked at the shadows around Gracia's eyes. "You will go with Mustang, get something to drink, wash your face and then you can come back in."

"Edward, I can't leave her."

Edward knelt down beside her. "Gracia, I will stay here, everyone is out there. If anything happens you will know straight away. But you need to get out of here for ten minutes, Gracia. Elysia won't have much of a mother left if you make yourself sick before she wakes up." Ed stared at her and Gracia finally sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly and she smiled at Edward.

"For ten minutes." Gracia said firmly.

"And I will call if anything happens before that." Edward promised and smiled back. Mustang moved closer and held his hand out and Gracia accepted it. She looked from one to the other as she stood up and Edward moved to take her place.

"If you say 'thank you', I'll make it fifteen minutes, Gracia." Roy said as he saw her swallow. She looked at him and he smiled. "I mean it. Edward is right. You need the break, so allow me to escort you to the coffee and the facilities, Mrs Hughes." He assumed a grand manner and she nearly laughed. She hadn't seen him like this since before Maes had died. Maes had sometimes managed to bring out the playful side to Roy Mustang, but it always been private between them.

Gracia turned to Edward and saw her staring at Roy with an amused expression on her face. Edward probably doesn't realise how rare Roy's behaviour is, Gracia thought.

"If madam will excuse us, we shall return shortly." Roy turned to Edward and his face was positively daring her to respond to his words. Her eyes narrowed and then she smiled, her eyes gleaming and she bowed slightly to them both.

"Please, consider yourself excused, Sir." She said in an extremely polite tone. Gracia looked from one to the other and shook her head.

"You two are worse than Maes."

"Ouch, Gracia. That was a low blow." Roy said with a grin on his face and Edward laughed softly.

"Why are you still here?" She asked and pointed to the door. "Get." She watched them leave and then settled on the chair and lifted Elysia's hand and held it lightly.

"Your Uncle Roy is an idiot, Elysia." She whispered to the unconscious child and she leant forward to place her head on the bed and murmured. "But yes, I do like him."

* * *

Riza looked rather shocked when Gracia appeared at the door. She had refused to leave Elysia's side and they had all tried to persuade her to take a short break. Riza went across to her friend, her eyes filled with curiousity.

"They ganged up on me." Gracia said and Roy smiled at her.

"No, Edward bullied you. I merely agreed with her." He told her. "Now, I will get you a coffee and Riza can escort you to the bathroom and see that you do freshen up as ordered." He turned to Riza. "Captain, if you will?"

"You are as much a bully as she is, Roy Mustang." Gracia accused him but her eyes were slightly glassy and she had to blink to clear them.

"We care for both you and Elysia, Gracia. Of course we are going to bully you." He grinned at her and watched as Riza led her to the closest bathroom.

Riza watched as Gracia went to the basins and splashed water on her face.

"Edward bullied you?" She asked softly.

"Just a little bit." Gracia sighed as she looked in the mirror. "But she was right. Elysia doesn't have much of a mother left at the moment."

"Can I say 'I told you so'?" Riza asked with gentle humour.

"No." Gracia smiled and then sighed. "I guess Edward telling me the same thing you had, made me realise how true it had to be."

"And Roy backed her up?"

"Yes." Gracia nodded. Their eyes met in the mirror and they both smiled.

"Roy likes Edward." Riza said.

"And she likes him." Gracia replied.

They turned to look at each other.

"Do you think they know yet?" Riza asked.

"Edward doesn't have a clue. She's confused at being attracted to him." Gracia smiled reminiscently. "And I'm not going to tell her otherwise. I remember what it was like to feel that way."

Riza smiled. "So do I." She paused to think. "Roy knows, but I don't know if he's aware she likes him." Riza frowned. "He was late to the Ball and he was absolutely furious about something and now he's smiling and relaxed. It's unlike him."

"You think it could be because of Edward?" Gracia asked.

"Possibly, but he's never reacted like this before. I think there maybe more to it, but Edward is certainly part of it. Ever since she returned, he's become more like he used to be."

"So do we give it our blessing?" Gracia queried.

"Yes, I think so." Riza replied.

When Roy escorted Gracia back into the room just over ten minutes later, they found Edward's head next to Elysia's shoulder and she was sleeping with a small smile on her face. Gracia watched as Roy stood still and stared at the sleeping blonde. His face was surprisingly gentle.

Maes my love, she whispered to him in her mind. Riza is right. I think Roy has fallen.

* * *

Elysia's temperature dropped further and their smiles became easier. As the night wore on they began to take it in turns to sleep on the chairs. Jackets were discarded and used as pillows and Breda convinced a nurse to let them borrow a couple of blankets. Edward woke up after an hour and joined the others in the corridor.

Midnight came and went and the news continued to be good. By three in the morning, Elysia had settled into a more natural sleep and her temperature was staying down. They kept up the antibiotics but they all knew it would still be a few days before they would know if Elysia had suffered any damage from the infection. Roy and Edward had cornered the doctor and he had listed several results that they had not told Gracia about. The thought of possible blindness, deafness or even mild brain damage had made them both frown.

Edward looked around the small group. Everyone was asleep. Ross and Gracia were in the room with Elysia. Fuery and Breda were stretched out on the chairs; two blanketed lumps that snored quietly in unison. Havoc and Riza had pushed their chairs close and she could see Riza's head resting against his shoulder above the blanket that covered them. Schieska had fallen asleep in her chair and had fallen slightly to the left where Falman had been rather startled at first. He had let her lean against his shoulder and he had fallen asleep himself, his head resting against hers. Edward had placed a blanket on them.

She looked at the dark head of Roy Mustang and her lips twisted slightly. His eye was closed and he looked very different as he slept. His face had smoothed out and she had been startled by how peaceful he looked. He didn't snore and his breathing was soft and even. Once he had twitched and then resettled himself back down. She hadn't realised how fascinating it could be to simply watch him sleep. She hadn't realised how strange it made her feel to be his pillow either.

They had been sitting in silence when she had suddenly felt his head land against her shoulder, but unlike Schieska he had kept slipping down and now she had his head in her blanketed lap. He had looked very uncomfortable folded over like that but she hadn't been able to wake him. When the doctor had gone past, she had gotten him to lift Mustang's feet up onto the other chair and make him more comfortable. They had placed a blanket on him and he had mumbled something and then curled up on the chairs and nestled his head against her before settling back into sleep.

The little voice in her mind kept telling her to run her fingers through his hair and see if it was as soft as it looked. And it was pointing out how comforting it felt to have his head in her lap. It was also drawing attention to the warmth coming from Mustang. If this was attraction she thought, it was taking a new turn tonight. It had always been in the forefront of her thoughts but now it had settled to the side and instead of making her flustered, it was simply drawing her attention to things. Things about Mustang. Like twenty minutes of observations and details of his sleeping face.

Maybe because she had been more concerned about Elysia tonight, she had managed to find a balance between herself and this attraction. She recalled his fingers in her hair earlier and knew that yesterday she would have reacted a lot differently to what she had today. Gracia had said that you couldn't control attraction, but Edward realised that she could find a way to live with it. She scrunched her nose up as she realised that she had found her way and her balance because she had accepted it. She was attracted to Roy Mustang and she was not going to ignore it or deny it anymore. Not if she wanted to keep her sanity and peace of mind.

But that didn't mean she had to do anything about it, she told herself stubbornly, as she let a gloved finger slip across his hair. She frowned and absently removed the glove from her left hand before tentatively touching his hair again.

* * *

Roy Mustang opened his eye and blinked as his pillow shifted. He was reaching an arm up to hold it in place when he woke up properly and realised that pillows did not move on their own. He turned his head and found himself looking up at a sleeping Edward. She had propped her head against her automail arm and locked it into position. Her left hand he noticed was resting on his shoulder. Her lap was rather comfortable he thought and he wondered how long he had slept for. He also wondered why Edward had let him sleep and not moved either him or herself.

He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his watch. Six-thirty. He was supposed to be on a train at eight. He sighed and absently nestled back into Edward's lap. He wished he could go back to sleep. A few more hours would be very welcome. Especially with Edward as his pillow. How many times had he seen her sleeping now, he wondered. And never once had she actually been sleeping in a bed and he blinked and pushed his mind right away from there. The only time he had seen her in a bed had been that very first night his mind decided to add. That's not what I meant he told himself and groaned softly and he had to force himself to think about catching a train in an hour and a half.

"Mustang?" Edward asked sleepily and he saw hazy eyes blink at him.

"Yes." He replied quietly and sat up, watching as she stifled a yawn and then blinked herself awake.

"What's the time?"

"Half past six."

He watched as she looked around at the others still sleeping. He leant close to her for a moment.

"Edward, I'm going to have to leave shortly. You will let me know what happens." He said softly and she nodded.

"And I'll keep an eye on Gracia as well." She said, recalling their talk last night. He smiled and his fingers reached out to lightly brush her hair from her face. He looked into her startled eyes.

"Thank you." Was all he said but she felt there was more that he wasn't saying.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang placed his head on his hand and leant against the carriage window. His dark eye was not seeing the countryside as the train shook its way along. Falman was on the other seat, leafing through some of the paperwork and the rest of his detail was just outside the door. The compartment next to his had been taken for them.

The two hours of sleep he had managed during the night were not enough and he felt tired. It had been a long night and he had so many thoughts and impressions to sort through. Most of them involving Edward. He was still feeling a bit surprised at himself at having been so relaxed and open around her. Enough so as to actually fall asleep on her. He never did that, he had been able to go for long periods without sleep when required, and he put it down to the long, tiring and emotionally draining day it had been. He ignored the little voice that laughed at his logical excuse.

The same little voice that pushed him to recalling how much he had enjoyed working his fingers through Edward's hair as he had undone that damned bun. He should feel grateful for all those pins his little voice pointed out. Without them, Edward wouldn't have needed his help and he never would have had the opportunity to run his fingers through her hair.

And Edward had seemed comfortable with him. He had expected her to be jumpy and nervous but she had let him undo her hair, she had understood when they had communicated without words, she had let him sleep on her. He hadn't been mistaken, had he? She was attracted to him, so why had the nervousness and fear not been there? He had seen the fear of discovery, he had seen her blush. He had seen those signs on many women. Four years ago. Things like that didn't change, he thought. Edward was attracted to him. He knew that, he wasn't going to doubt it now. So why had she not been nervous?

Worry about Elysia would have over-ridden much of it he theorized, but not all of it. That little staring match had made her shiver, she had blushed. He had to remind himself that this was Edward and Edward was always going to be different. And Edward had always been very good at keeping things to herself. But not completely if that shiver and blush had escaped. She didn't seem to be in denial. He would have assumed her control to be a lot tighter if she had been, so maybe it was just confusion and that was good he thought. He was confused and it was easy to push confusion aside when there were more important things to think about. Although confusion always seemed to get revenge for that by coming back twice as fiercely. And sometimes it brought doubt with it. Would Edward be doubting everything now?

He wished he could have danced with her last night.

* * *

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric sat at Mustang's desk and stared at the clock. It had been two very long days and all she wanted to do now was sleep. He was due to phone in shortly and Hawkeye had arbitrarily told Edward that she had been chosen to inform the Brigadier-General of everything there was to know. Hawkeye had even given her a list.

After Mustang had left they had taken it in turns to go home and change. They had even convinced Gracia to leave Elysia for twenty minutes and have a quick shower and change into the fresh clothes Riza had picked up for her. Breda had worked out a roster for the coming week. The hospital staff found that the seemingly harmless round faced man had a very succinct manner when he informed them of who to contact and what to do should Elysia's condition change in any way, shape or form.

Fuery rewired part of the hospital in order to set up a phone in Elysia's room and Schieska read all of Elysia's medical file and went to the library and came back two hours later with a page of notes, explaining in layman's terms just exactly what was happening. Havoc reorganized all their chairs and had another cot bed set up in Elysia's room. Hawkeye oversaw everything and Edward watched with a grin and did whatever Riza told her to.

"Is she always like that?" A nurse had asked at one point as Hawkeye calmly informed one nurse of her negligence in not refreshing the water in Elysia's room.

"No." Edward had shaken her head. "Usually she shoots first."

Edward had been rather grateful to have been kept busy, but now as she waited for Mustang to call, all the thoughts she had been trying to avoid appeared. She looked at the clock again.

Admitting to herself that she was attracted to Mustang had eased some of the tension in her. It hadn't struck her to wonder what Mustang felt until he had brushed her hair back this morning and his voice had been surprisingly gentle. She had expected him to show that sort of emotion to Gracia, but not to her. Even if he had been gentle to Hawkeye she could have understood it. They had known each other for years. But Mustang had been gentle to her.

Now that she thought about it, he had been almost gentle all night. He had undone her hair without making any smartass comments, he had understood and backed her up with the doctor and with Gracia. He had made Gracia smile and relax. Not once had they come close to anything resembling discord between them. She had thought she would be tense around him but she hadn't.

The fear she had felt on Friday was still there. She didn't want him to know that she was attracted to him, but last night it had been pushed to the side. There had been more important things to think about. Gracia knew and the Fuhrer did too. They were the only ones who knew and if she hadn't sworn and given herself away while dancing with the Fuhrer, she thought that even he would have remained unaware of it. She knew neither of them would say anything and that relieved her.

But what did Mustang feel? Gracia had intimated that it wouldn't be so bad if Mustang found out but that felt wrong. What if he did find out and laughed or made fun of it? One-sided attraction was not equivalent. She remembered Al having a crush on Hawkeye a long time ago and they had spent several days trying to understand what and why people felt that way. At twelve and thirteen, they had had absolutely no idea as to what it all meant. But she remembered Al being terrified of Hawkeye ever finding out. Now she understood how he had felt.

If you knew what the other person felt then you would know what to do. Wouldn't you? You could ignore it and hope it went away if you knew they didn't feel the same. But what if they did? What did you do then?

Okay Edward now you really are reaching here, she told herself. Mustang is not likely to be attracted to you. It's just friendship. That's all it is. We're older, we're just finding friendship works for us now. That's all.

The phone rang and Edward jumped and her blood suddenly pounded in her ears. Just friendship indeed, a little voice whispered in her mind. Her hand was shaking as she lifted the receiver and she frowned at it as she spoke.

"Brigadier-General Mustang's office."

"_You sound almost efficient, Edward."_ Mustang's voice echoed in her ear and she could hear the smile on his face.

"Hawkeye gave me a list." She said and heard his groan. "But Elysia is doing much better. She woke up briefly and was disorientated but they think her hearing is fine. They don't know about anything else yet." She could almost feel his relief through the phone.

"_Any other good news before you start on that list?"_ Mustang asked.

"Not really, unless you want to count the rumour that you flamed a sergeant last night." Edward grinned.

"_I did what?"_

"Armstrong came by the hospital this afternoon. Apparently one of the better rumours is that you flamed an innocent sergeant and some General's office before the Ball." Edward nearly laughed at the outraged noises from Mustang.

"_Why the hell would I do anything so pointless as to…oh shit."_

Edward blinked at the sudden stop and Mustang was silent for a few moments.

"_Find out the name of that sergeant and get Hawkeye to reinstate her."_ Edward tilted her head at what sounded like embarrassment in Mustang's voice.

"Mustang?" She asked.

"_I demoted a sergeant and I was wrong to have done so, and if you tell anyone that, I will flame you, Edward."_ Mustang's voice was firm and threatening and Edward laughed.

"I won't have to say anything. Hawkeye will find out anyway." She grinned and then asked with genuine curiousity. "What had the sergeant done to warrant demotion?"

"_Leave it Edward."_

"Tell me Mustang, or I'll get Hawkeye." Edward threatened and her threat was more effective than his had been.

"_She hadn't done anything, okay? I was just very angry. And if you do tell that to anyone not only will I flame you on a daily basis for the next six months I will find a place for you washing dishes in the mess."_

"You're exaggerating Mustang." Edward said calmly and leant back in the chair.

"_Just making sure you understand the consequences of your actions, Edward."_

Edward laughed. This was normal, this was how it should be. Light and fun and nothing out of the ordinary. None of the confusion and questions that were hovering to one side and just waiting for her to hang up. She began to run down Hawkeye's list and grinned at each groan or complaint he had.

She didn't grin too much when he retaliated with a list of his own that she had to write down and pass onto Hawkeye.

* * *

The lists seemed to grow longer over the next the two days.

"Tell Roy that this has to be done."

"Tell Roy that the papers were included in the file."

"Tell Roy that if he doesn't inform General Lermic of these changes, he will have to re-submit all that paperwork…on his own."

"_Tell Riza that Falman has taken care of it. And make sure she never mentions it again, Edward."_

"_Do not tell Riza she put the papers in the wrong file, tell her they were dropped and became mixed up."_

"_General Lermic is a pompous pain in the ass and needs to resubmit his own damned paperwork. Tell Riza she is welcome to come out here and shoot him. I will pay her fare."_

"Falman always takes care of those things, you're just lazy, Mustang."

"You're a coward, Mustang. Why can't I blame you instead?"

"Riza laughed. Actually the whole office laughed. Just flame him yourself if he's such a pain, Mustang."

* * *

"_We should be back on Saturday as planned, Edward." _ Mustang sounded tired and Edward leant back in the big chair and listened.

"Havoc has organized a car to meet you and he said something about the debriefing arranged for Monday so you'll have the weekend to finish off the reports."

"_How kind of him. Remind me to thank him properly when I return." _Mustang replied sarcastically and Ed laughed.

It was after seven and they had been on the phone for nearly an hour. They had gotten into a routine with the calls now. The first ten minutes was devoted to Elysia and Gracia and then the lists and notes would go back and forth. Once that was done they would relax back and exchange gossip or just converse for a while.

"I'm going to keep your chair, Mustang." Edward said now as she leant right back and put her booted feet on his desk.

"_You have a chair, Edward."_

"You can have that one. Yours is much more comfortable. It leans back a lot further."

"_Your desk is not the right size for my chair and your chair would look out of place in my office."_

"That's what alchemy is for, Mustang. Or maybe you can just move out to my desk and I'll stay in here."

"_No, Edward. I think I'll let you keep your desk just as it is."_ Roy said with a smile. He enjoyed these light moments at the end of his calls. Edward gave him a reason to smile at the end of a long and sometimes boring day.

"But my chair doesn't lean back far enough to put my feet up." Edward protested.

"_Get your boots off my desk, Edward!"_

* * *

"Hey Mustang, did you find someone to replace me up North yet?" Edward asked towards the end of Thursday's call.

"_What?" _Mustang's voice was loud in her ear. _"What do you know about that?"_

"I know about it because some guy came in today and handed me the posting orders." Edward replied and frowned. "You knew about this Mustang. Why didn't you tell me?"

"_It wasn't necessary Edward. You're not getting posted out."_

"You should have told me about it, Mustang."

"_I only found out the night of the Ball, there really was no opportunity to tell you, Edward." _Mustang replied and Ed had to scrunch her nose up at that truth. _"The Fuhrer and I discussed it, so I don't know why the orders were delivered to you."_

"Yes, that's what he said as well." Edward remarked.

"_You went to the Fuhrer?"_ Mustang sounded startled. _"Why did you do that?"_

"I had to. Hawkeye was going to shoot the guy in charge of Personnel for authorizing such a posting. She pointed out to him that as neither you or the Fuhrer had signed it, I should never have received it and that any such transfer was in direct violation of my enlistment terms. He said something about postings being not open for discussion, that personnel went where they were posted and that as a mere captain she would find herself up on insubordination charges if she continued to hinder him in the execution of his lawful duties. I think she said 'execute this', and then shot the pen out of his hand." Edward paused, grinning as she recalled the horrified look on the guy's face. If she hadn't stepped in and dragged them both to the Fuhrer's office there would have been blood all over his nice paperwork.

"The Fuhrer said much the same as you did and then commended Hawkeye for not shooting the guy as he fully realised the stress she had been under at the time. I think you should send him North. I know Riza would appreciate it." Edward smirked. The idiot had not had a leg to stand on after that and had saluted stiffly before being dismissed. The Fuhrer had reassured Hawkeye that Edward would not be posted North or anywhere else, unless they all were all posted out together. Hawkeye had accepted that with a solemn nod and Edward had grinned at the Fuhrer and received a grin in reply.

"It's all sorted, Mustang but you might want to be nice to Riza for a few days. She was most upset that you hadn't told her about it." Edward laughed smugly.

"_Thanks for the warning, Edward. Tell Riza I've already chosen someone and she can personally let Personnel know of my decision."_

"She'll like that."

* * *

Friday was not a good day for Edward and she knew Mustang was not going to be happy either. She was exhausted as she slumped into Mustang's chair. He was due back tomorrow and she was feeling torn in two about it. She wanted him back, it had felt empty without him around the office; dammit she had missed him. But it would also mean the end of their evening chats and she knew she was going to miss them as well.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. About the only good news was Elysia's continuing recovery. She was staying conscious for longer and longer now and they knew that neither her hearing nor her sight had been affected. They still weren't sure if she had suffered from any other side-effects but everyone was more optimistic with every day that passed.

It had taken her until Wednesday before she had admitted that she missed him. She had kept looking around, expecting to see him or hear him and he just hadn't been there. It made the office a strange place to be even though just about everyone else had been there. It was made worse knowing that every evening she would hear him and talk to him and then once it was over, there was nothing to do but wait for the next evening.

Every day Riza and Gracia would give her messages to pass on and suddenly 'tell Roy' had become the phrase that would automatically bring up that image of his face as he had brushed her hair back that morning. She didn't know why or how they had become linked in her mind, but they had.

She took a deep breath when the phone rang and she answered it.

"Hello Mustang."

"_Hello Edward, you sound tired." _His voice echoed in her ear and she leant back in the chair and made herself comfortable. There was no point in being uncomfortable as well as having bad news.

"It's been a busy day. But first…" And Edward spoke of Elysia and passed on all Gracia's messages. Mustang had a few to pass on as well and had promised to visit on his way home tomorrow.

"_Tell me, Edward."_ He said after all the pleasantries had been completed.

Edward sighed. "There was an explosion in one of the research labs here today."

"_And?"_

"They were using red water, Mustang."

Mustang was silent but Edward could hear his suddenly harsh breathing.

"_What happened?"_

"Well, do you recall a small lab that had been dabbling with red water?"

"_Yes. I've been expecting to hear that it had been closed down."_

"It had. Three days ago apparently. But one of the dumber officials brought some of the 'red stuff' back for classification and experimentation. Apparently he had never seen it before and wanted to know what it was. According to the official report, Lab S14 was shut down due to safety and hazard concerns. The unit that went in to clear everything out did not have any alchemical training and they just destroyed most of everything that was there." Edward's voice was rich with disgust at such methods. "They were very lucky they didn't blow themselves up. Anyway, the red water was being looked at by an even dumber technician who decided to see how it would react with other materials."

"_How much damage?"_

"Well, Jean said that it was almost as much damage as _I_ could have done without actually trying. I think he was trying to be funny. Stop that Mustang." Edward said as she heard a suspicious noise from the phone. "This is not funny. Four people are in hospital, the walls and most of the Research Department is scattered over the Parade Ground and I have been appointed as the one to clear everything up."

"_Why you?"_

"Because you weren't here. Because I'm an alchemist. Because I told the Research Department that they were a bunch of illiterate morons who couldn't tell red water from food colouring. Because I hit the damned Colonel who said I had no business telling his staff they were morons. Just fucking because!" Edward started out calm but her temper rose and her voice did too. She sat up straight and her right hand fisted.

"_Edward!"_ Mustang's voice was loud and she unclenched her right hand and leant back into the chair, trying to calm down.

"Yes?" She managed to respond after a few minutes.

"_Is there any red water left?"_ Mustang asked calmly as he heard her breathing soften.

"No. I made sure of that." Edward took a deep breath and relaxed further.

"_Good. What happened to the Colonel you hit?"_

"Just a broken nose I think. I used my left hand."

"_Such restraint, Edward." _

"I know. If the Fuhrer hadn't been there I would have used my right." Edward ignored the light sarcasm. She really had intended to use her right hand when the loud-mouthed Colonel had told her that she was nowhere near as intelligent as his staff and that he had hand-picked each and every one of them and no upstart Lieutenant-Colonel was going to insult his team. To give him his due, he had not known who the golden eyed blonde had been at the time and she had been fair in acknowledging his willingness to defend his staff, even if they were idiots. But the moment he had questioned her intelligence and said that if his staff hadn't known the difference he doubted anyone else could, and that she was incredibly misguided in thinking otherwise, she had lost her temper completely.

She had calmly informed him of her State Alchemist status as her left hand had struck him. When he had been able to focus, she had then told him her name, just in case he wanted to bring in charges of insubordination.

"_And the Fuhrer appointed you to clear it up?"_ Mustang asked.

"Yes." Edward nodded as she put her feet up on his desk and leant back deeper into his chair. She had spent the next three hours being informed of just what had been damaged and what needed replacing. Several times she had come close to losing her temper again. And another hour had been spent making sure there was absolutely no red water traces at all. She was so tired.

"_Well, I can not go against a direct command of the Fuhrer, Edward." _Mustang said in a thoughtful voice.

"I know that, Mustang." Edward said and stifled a yawn. She felt better now she had told him, even though she knew there was nothing he could do. She had gotten herself into it and she was going to clear it up. And it had sparked a whole new train of thought in her head. But right at this moment it felt less of a weight now that she had shared it with him.

"_Edward?" _Mustang asked.

"What?" She blinked and realised she had nearly fallen asleep. "Sorry, just tired."

"_Go home Edward. We can discuss all this when I get back." _ There was that gentleness back in his voice. She hadn't heard it all week but she recognized it. She smiled sleepily and her head settled against the phone as her eyes closed.

"G'night Roy."

* * *

Roy Mustang looked at the receiver in his hand and blinked. He had not just heard that, had he? Edward had called him 'Roy'. He didn't think she'd ever done that before. He listened and all he could hear was silence.

* * *

Author's Note: Apologies all around for the delay but it's done and it's here and I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you again for all the comments and reviews. I really do keep going because you are there. Knowing you enjoy this makes me smile so much. Danke.

silken :)


	21. Realisations

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, and never will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 21: Realisations**

Edward blinked and stretched and wondered why she had a phone beside her ear. It took her a moment to realise she was in Mustang's office. She looked at the clock and blinked. It was three in the morning. She looked at the receiver and went to hang it up and finally found the base on the floor by the desk. It appeared she had kicked it off the desk while she had been sleeping. She yawned as she picked it up and placed it back where it belonged.

She thought she should probably return to her dorm and finish the night there, but she didn't want to leave here just yet. He was coming back tomorrow…no, later this morning. She puffed out her breath and leant back in the chair.

She wondered if she should go down and meet his train and then shook her head vigorously. No. That would mean she had missed him. Well, she had missed him, but if he saw her there then he would know she had missed him. And that was not something she was prepared for. Yet. If ever.

"Why him?" She asked the empty room. "Why Roy Mustang of all people?" She blinked. "Well who else could it have been?" She asked herself and she frowned. Gracia had said that attraction was something that everyone felt at some time and that it didn't care what sex you were.

Edward leant back in the chair. Now that was something she hadn't really considered before. She had found herself attracted to Roy Mustang and he had been the one in her mind for nine out of every ten thoughts she had. Being male inside, wouldn't it have made more sense for _him_ to have been attracted to a female, not another male? Why had _he_ become enamoured of Mustang instead of say…Hawkeye? Both seemed to be equally illogical in terms of attraction.

There didn't seem to be any laws to attraction and Gracia had said as much. But it still confused her as to why it had chosen someone of the same sex. Although it might have been more awkward if she had become attracted to another female. After all, every one saw her outside and not _his_ inside. She groaned.

Why was she sending herself into confusion again? Last week she had admitted it. She was attracted to Mustang and then he had left. That had been fine, that had been good. It meant she could be attracted all she wanted and not have to face the object of that attraction. But he was coming back today. She was going to be attracted to some one who was actually going to be here.

She almost wished she could go back to being confused and not aware again. Now that she was actually aware of what she was feeling, a whole new set of questions and problems seemed to have arrived. Questions like what if Mustang found out? Or what was she supposed to do now? And what if this was not really attraction and it was just some side effect of her now being female?

Ed laughed. Now she was reaching again. She sighed. She had to figure out something. He was going to be back here and she didn't know what to do. All things being equal she wouldn't see him until Monday, so it wasn't as if she had to have something planned now, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. Just in case.

This last week it had been 'tell Roy this' and 'tell Roy that'. If she wasn't careful she'd start calling him 'Roy' and that was not going to happen. No, the only time she used that name was with Elysia and then it had an 'Uncle' attached to it. That was acceptable, that was safe. It was not helped by Riza and Gracia always saying 'Roy'. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought they were doing it on purpose.

Hmm, so something like 'Hi Mustang, welcome back, we didn't miss you at all' perhaps? Umm no, maybe not. Or how about "Back already, bastard?' She shook her head, not that one either. Actually, she thought, she hadn't called him bastard to his face for a long time now. The last time had been that day in his office when she had worn her skirt for the first time and he had thrown his watch at her. He had been so human that day and he had kept on being human ever since.

She had seen it again last week. There was something about that whole night that puzzled her. He had behaved as she would have expected him to with Gracia and with the others. But he had been _too_ human around her. Too open. She didn't know how else to phrase it. It had been a relief when he had appeared at the hospital and she had stood there and he had waited for her to get control of herself. He hadn't said anything, he had just stood there. She hadn't realised until later how much of a support that had been.

He had pulled all of those pins from her hair without complaint or sarcastic comment. It had taken her three days before she had remembered what Gracia had said about Roy liking long hair. She had stopped mid-signature and blushed so brightly she had wondered why Riza had said nothing and hoped that meant she hadn't seen the blush at all. Did liking long hair mean that you liked it regardless of where it was, like you did with flowers for example. Or did it mean that you liked it in a specific sense, like the ring of flowers Ed preferred because of the memories that went with them. Did you like long hair better if it you saw it everywhere or just on certain people? Gracia's words had implied a general liking, not a specific instance. So did that have anything to do with why he had simply walked up and started on her hair?

She had felt his fingers moving through her hair even as she had concentrated on what he had been saying at the time. Despite the occasional pulling, it had been strangely easy to stand there while he had done that. There were very few people she would let get that close to her back and he had become one of them. He had said he was helping and she had not denied it. The world should have stopped moving at that moment. When was the last time she had accepted his help and not made a fuss about it?

Why was she over analyzing everything? He had pulled her hair pins out and she had let him. Simple. It didn't get more basic than that. So why could she recall exactly how it had felt to have his fingers in her hair and his breath at the back of her neck? Where was the simplicity in that? Attraction on her side, fine. But what about him? Did he help because it was long hair or because it was her?

She recalled how gentle his voice and eye had been when he had left that morning. His fingers had moved her hair, he hadn't made her quiver like that other touch had and yet she had felt something deep inside that had linked that look on his face to his name. Why had he been so gentle? Quiet yes, because of the sleepers. But that look, that touch. There had been something there. But what the hell had it been?

Friendship didn't make people do that, did it? Was there attraction on his side? Ed blinked and looked at the empty room before falling back laughing.

Yeah, that was it. Roy Mustang was attracted to her. That would be like saying she didn't have automail and had never spent most of her life as a male. It was a logical thought to have she supposed. It was part of a progressional sequence. You were attracted to something, you wondered if they were attracted back. The problem was that the notion of it being even close to true was just inconceivable to her and that brought her right back to the beginning of her circle again.

There was no possible way Roy Mustang was attracted to her. For that to happen, he would have to ignore that Ed had been male for nearly twenty years. Mustang was the last person she could envisage being with another man. Ed remembered the rumours of the man's reputation. Being fourteen had not stopped fellow soldiers passing on lurid and detailed stories of 'The Mustang' to him. Admitted, the stories had given him and Al something to laugh about during the long boring train trips. They had also been their major source for learning about sex. But neither boy had looked any deeper. They, especially Ed, had been too focused on restoring Al. All the stories got filed into his mental miscellaneous folder and then forgotten. But none of them had ever mentioned Mustang being involved with anything other than women. And Mustang knew how Ed still saw_ himself_.

And they didn't exactly have the friendliest of histories either. Edward sighed and stretched. It wasn't even worth thinking about. She had a busy day ahead and she had to find something that would help her keep her composure when she saw him on Monday. She flicked off the light as she left, yawning again and then cursing as her treacherous mind reminded her of just how soft his hair had felt that night.

* * *

Roy stared up at the roof of his sleeper carriage. He didn't usually have a problem falling asleep on the train and after a long boring week of nothing but traveling and mindless inspections, he had thought he would've been sleeping very soundly. But not tonight. Not when a blonde kept on saying his name as he let her hair down… again.

He had held that receiver to his ear for five minutes at least and heard only silence. If she had fallen asleep, he hadn't heard her breathing. If she had hung up, he hadn't heard the changed tone. There had been absolutely nothing. Had she fallen asleep in his chair? Had she really said his name? He had heard her call him 'Uncle Roy' before and had not felt the shock he had felt earlier. She called him 'Mustang' so often, he had wondered if she knew he even had a first name. She had sounded as if she had been right on the edge of sleep and he knew from that night in the library how hazy her eyes and voice could get at that moment.

She might not even remember it he thought and he rolled over on his side at that thought. But it didn't matter too much. She had used his name and he knew she was thinking of him. She had to have missed him this week. Maybe not as much as he had missed her, but enough to make her use his name. What else had she been thinking of he wondered. Had she thought of him undoing her hair, or falling asleep in her lap? Had she even known he had done that? He had woken before her and he had moved as she had woken up. He couldn't remember when either of them had fallen asleep. Surely she would have said something, or at least looked uncomfortable, but she had done neither. Only startled when he had brushed her hair aside.

And he knew how soft that hair was now, how it felt as it had slipped through his fingers when he had undone that bun. Had she been too involved in what they had been talking about to have given much, or any, thought to what he had been doing? He had seen her eyes, he knew she had not been happy at his leaving. But it had only been for a week and they had spoken every day. Had that dismay stayed with her and evolved into 'missing you'? He wanted to run his fingers through her hair again and he rolled over to his other side at that thought. He would always be able to find her because of that hair. No-one else had hair like that. He had looked for it in the Ballroom, he had seen it at the hospital.

He recalled that feeling he had had when she had walked into him. The single moment when everything in him had stopped. He had known it was her the moment he saw her hair, but that heart-stopping jolt had sent him reaching for restraints and self-control to stop himself from holding her and to suppress the quiver that had threatened his ability to remain uptight.

He had never known attraction this strong before. Never had anyone caused him to run around in as many mental circles as Edward did. Was this just the result of four years celibacy or was it more than that? Until she had returned he had been nicely tucked away in his self-contained little black hole and she had dragged him out, not quite kicking and screaming. Although he had come close on occasion. Was some of his attraction based on gratitude? Was he grateful to be back out into the world? He puffed his breath out. He didn't remember having to think about things this deeply when he had been out and about in the past.

He knew he tended to brood over things sometimes, but Maes had always been there to drag him out or to listen or just to be there. And now Edward was doing that without even knowing what she was doing. Their evening conversations had been the high point of each day for him. Without them, he knew he would have left a trail of scorched paperwork and officials behind him. She had listened to his complaints in between passing all of Riza's notes to him and taken all of his replies in return. She had laughed at him and treated him with an easy familiarity. He wondered if she would still treat him like that when they were back in the same office again. Or would nerves and awkwardness get in the way. He hoped not.

He had enjoyed the ease of their banter. They had always indulged in it but this time there had been none of that walking on a tightrope feeling. Where you just knew the wrong word would tip you straight into a loud round of insults and curses that usually ended in flames and bullets. But not this time. He hadn't even been tempted to try. He wondered if that was because he couldn't see her face. It was always much more fun to watch her expressive face at those moments and follow the rapid changes in her emotions.

For all he was the Flame Alchemist, she had more fire he thought. Perhaps that was why he was attracted. She flared and shone in golden lights and he had always been attracted to bright shiny things and especially fire. But this was one fire that was not going to let him control it with a simple snap of his fingers. No, this one could burn his whole hand off if he wasn't careful.

"Why am I thinking this way?" He mumbled to himself as he rolled over again. It was almost…poetic. He had never been poetic in his life. Suave, yes, smooth, definitely, but not poetic. That smacked of a mushy kind of sentiment that only Maes had ever managed to accomplish without descending into pure drivel. God, next he'd be waxing as lyrically as Armstrong did and pulled the pillow over his head to muffle his groan. Never, he was never going to get to that point.

He sighed and sat up. He was never going to get any sleep either and he would arrive in Central irritable and tired. Would Edward be there to greet him? Somehow he doubted that, but she was contrary and he never knew what might happen with her. He smiled as he made himself comfortable, leaning back against the wall. He had not expected her to be so calm when she had found out about her posting and his involvement in it. He had expected loud accusations of 'trying to control my life again, Mustang' and threats of physical harm at not having told her about it. But no, it had been Hawkeye who had let slip the reins of her temper and Edward had seemed almost amused by the whole incident.

Unlike yesterday when Edward had been the one to unleash her temper. Not that he blamed her. Red water was not something you went playing around with under any circumstances. He was going to have his own set of words with that Colonel and while he wouldn't break his nose, he might just let him smoulder for a while. And then he was going to track down his Intel contact and ask why their team had not included alchemists and also why he had not been kept up to date on the progress of the action against that lab.

Roy brought his knees up and scrunched the pillow across his lap. He had a debriefing with the Fuhrer on Monday. He was seriously considering discussing the Intel mistake with him. It could be the start to his new 'get involved' attitude. It should not have taken them this long to take action and they should have had experts with them. If Maes had still been there, he would have had it closed down and concluded within a week of first hearing about it. He might not have Maes pushing from behind anymore, but he had a crew he knew he didn't deserve and he had Edward there now. They would support him and he would take that first step. He had never considered Intel and Investigations as being the place to start but it felt strangely right and he could almost see green eyes and hear a smug voice telling him 'that it was about time, Roy.'

And Edward couldn't object too much to being sent out and about again. Could she? It would give her something to do, she wouldn't be stuck in the office. She was a Lieutenant-Colonel now, she'd have more authority and hopefully she wouldn't see it as a return to the old ways of the four years she had served before. But would she see it as an opportunity to do things and help make the changes that needed to be made? And she wouldn't have to go away for too long. He almost grinned. A short leash. Oh God she'd never forgive him if he called it that.

Yes, lunch with the Fuhrer on Monday to begin and then lunch with Edward on Tuesday to discuss this.

And, if he could finally get the courage and the opportunity, a date for Friday.

* * *

Edward knew the exact moment Mustang's train arrived at the station. The large clock struck ten and she knew he was back. Jean Havoc had told her the arrangements three times in as many days. Mustang arrives at ten, driver to be waiting. De-briefing on Monday. Riza and Gracia had both told her to 'tell Roy' to call in at the hospital and she had 'told Roy' and he had told her to tell them that he would be there Saturday afternoon. For some reason they had needed to confirm that… twice. Why everyone had suddenly felt the need to tell her exactly what Mustang was doing this weekend was beyond her. It didn't matter to her. Liar said a little voice. Shut up she replied.

It didn't matter because he was back and she was at Headquarters trying very hard to keep her temper under control.

"Do you see that pile of debris?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Sir." The corporal replied. They had all learnt very quickly not to call the Lieutenant-Colonel 'Ma'am'.

"Why is it still here? You shouldn't be able to see it. It was supposed to have been cleared away first thing this morning."

"The contractor's running late, Sir. They had another job to…" He trailed off as her eyes blazed.

"A contractor? What happened to having military personnel take care of these things? Why do we need a contractor?"

"Research has done that for awhile now, Sir."

"Since when exactly?" The golden eyes narrowed.

"Since the Colonel took over, Sir. About twelve months ago. There was a staff shuffle at the same time and apparently he needed to fill the spaces and used contractors."

Edward frowned. "Not anymore. Get on to the contractor and tell him his services are no longer required. Find a semi-intelligent secretary and get a list of all contractors. It ends now. And then round up some of the newest privates and get them to move that debris from this side of the building to the other."

"Sir?"

"You're in the Military, Corporal. You shouldn't need to have orders repeated." Edward said firmly. "If there are any queries then you tell them to come direct to me and you keep moving and doing everything I just told you to do. Does that make it clearer for you?" There was a slight edge to her words and the corporal nodded and saluted.

"Yes Sir." He turned and left and Edward sighed. She could just clap and clear it but given the condition of the Research department it needed more than just a quick fix. The Fuhrer might have only intended her to clear up the physical mess but once she had seen the bureaucratic mess, she had become just as determined to fix that as well. Edward lived for research and alchemy and to see it brought down to the incompetent depths it had been was painful.

Now she had a decision to make. Who did she tell first? Mustang or the Fuhrer? Both would need to know if Edward was going to completely restructure the Research department like she fully intended to. Mustang was her immediate superior so he had to know and besides, she couldn't imagine herself not telling him. It would have made for a great conversation on the phone she thought. Why couldn't he have arrived tomorrow? Then she could have discussed it with him. And she had to tell the Fuhrer because it was his military that she was going make the changes to.

She was going to have to say something and very soon as well. Cancelling the contractor and commandeering manual labour was probably not the most innocent of actions. And she had no doubts that both the Fuhrer and Mustang had equal vision when it came to reading the motives behind the smallest of actions. Mustang had a debriefing with the Fuhrer on Monday. She could talk to Mustang before that and get him to talk to the Fuhrer. That would be a sensible and logical way to do it. Except that would mean facing Mustang and hoping like hell she could keep from twitching, quivering, staring or just generally letting any sign of the attraction show.

Booted feet walking purposefully behind her had her turning to meet the eyes of a determined looking sergeant and half a dozen nervous looking privates. New ones too, judging by how stiff their uniforms still looked.

"Ma'am. I was told to report to a Lieutenant-Colonel here?" The man said.

"That would be me, Sergeant and do not call me 'Ma'am.' Sir is fine." Edward eyed him. "You have charge of the privates I requested?"

"Yes Sir. And I am here to protest your order." The sergeant replied.

"On what grounds?"

"This is manual labouring work, Sir. Military personnel should not be required for such tasks."

"Nice try Sergeant, but military personnel are required to carry out the clearing up of military messes and that pile is a military mess." Edward met his eyes. "Understand me clearly Sergeant. There will be no more contractors. The military does not need outsiders or civilians to take care of its own, be they messes or not."

The sergeant stared back. The blonde was not humouring him and she was deadly serious. She had not pulled rank and ignored his protest. She had answered it and she was still intending to have his little group move the debris. He had been rather surprised to see a young female officer but now he could see why she held that rank at such a young age. Determination and purpose were there in her eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had found an officer with this much strength.

"So where do you want the debris moved to, Sir?" He said as he saluted.

"To the other side of the building, Sergeant." Edward said as she nodded her acknowledgement of his salute.

He turned away and began to organize his group into a work gang and Edward suppressed the smile at the low grumbling complaints she heard. Once the debris was moved then she would make the morons in the Research department sort it out into its various components and maybe they would learn something. She walked closer to the pile. Yes, they could separate the larger groups. She almost certain they could distinguish wood from concrete.

"Finally got someone else to clear up the mess, Edward?" A deep voice said behind her.

"There's a shovel with your name on it around here somewhere, Mustang." She retorted without thinking and turned around, her eyes wide and her heart tripping rather fast.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" She demanded as she stared at him.

* * *

Mustang stretched as he stepped down from the train. Falman followed him and they both looked around. Falman for the driver to help him with all the cases of paperwork they seemed to have managed to collect over the last week and Roy for a particular shade of blonde. Falman found what he was looking for, but Roy didn't. He told himself not to be disappointed. He hadn't really expected her to be here, but it would have been nice.

"Hey Chief." Havoc sauntered up with a lazy smile on his face. "Welcome back." It was the wrong blond.

"Jean." Mustang smiled back. "To what do I owe this?"

"The Boss said you appreciated my organizational skills with your schedule. She said you wanted to be reminded of it when you got back." Havoc grinned at him.

"Oh did she now?" Roy asked rhetorically as he recalled that particular conversation. "Where is Edward?"

"Clearing the mess from the Research explosion. She'll be at Headquarters all weekend doing that."

"Headquarters?" Falman asked as he suddenly appeared. "I need to drop these files off there. Can we do that now?"

"Of course we can, Falman." Roy said and then turned to Havoc with a smirk. "And Jean has just offered to help you carry those files too."

"Good. Here you go, Havoc." And Falman handed Havoc the first of the cases.

"These things are heavy!" He protested.

"That's why you're helping him, Jean. Consider it a token of my appreciation for organizing my weekend for me." Roy said and began walking to the car, ignoring the complaints coming from behind him. He was glad they couldn't see the smile that wouldn't stop appearing on his face. He hadn't thought to see Edward this soon on his return. He had been hoping to see her at the hospital later. He knew she had known what time he would be there. He had been more than a bit suspicious about Riza's need to confirm that detail, twice. But he had heard the ignorance in Edward's voice so he had said nothing.

He sat in the car and stared out the window. He could not believe he was actually feeling nervous about seeing her again. It had only been a week. Perhaps it was more her reaction that had him worried. He hadn't been nervous earlier. But that had been before the train had actually stopped. What if she hadn't really missed him? What if she had just been too sleep-addled to say Mustang? What if she wasn't attracted any more? Roy resisted the urge to hit his head against the car window. Now he was really making himself worried and that was not like him. He wasn't a teenager anymore in the throes of his first crush. He was a man, for God's sake. He had been there, done that. There was nothing here that he could not handle.

Except Edward.

He was tying himself up in knots and he took a deep breath. Edward was attracted to him. He knew that, he had seen it in her eyes. Good. She had missed him. He was almost positive about that one, calling him by name was a pretty good indication. Good again. He had found a way to give her something to do with her service. He was pretty sure she would at least hear him out about that one. And he could discuss that one at lunch. Which was better than good.

By the time they reached Headquarters Roy had managed to get control of his circling thoughts and had completely missed the measuring glances Havoc had been giving him. Havoc was not the least bit surprised when Mustang simply walked away from the car and left them with the cases. He grinned and knew Riza would be interested to hear about this.

* * *

Roy stood in the shadow of the building and watched Edward deal with the Sergeant before he approached. She was wearing her uniform and he could see dust around the edges of the butt skirt and coating her boots. She had her hair braided to keep it out of the way and there was a dirty mark down the back of one of the jacket sleeves and he knew she had done more than just delegate work. But that didn't stop him.

"Finally got someone else to clear up the mess, Edward?"

"There's a shovel with your name on it around here somewhere, Mustang." Her response was all he expected and he smiled as she spun around. Her eyes were really golden he thought as he saw them widen.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" She demanded. Oh yes, he could see it. She had missed him and she was hiding it very well too. But he saw the way her eyes skimmed across his face and the quick once-over glance.

"Falman wanted to drop some files off." He said blandly. "And thank you so much for sending Havoc to meet me." She smirked at his tone. "That was not what I meant and you knew it."

"I thought it only fair. Otherwise he could have had the day off with nothing to do." She said lightly. She was having trouble trying to stop looking at him. Her eyes wouldn't move and she couldn't turn away and get back to work. The man wasn't just attraction she told herself, he was distraction as well.

His dark eye looked at the working soldiers behind her and then he turned slightly to see the damaged building.

"It's not a lot of damage." He said. "I would have expected more."

"There was more, Mustang. I had to do some structural repairs or the floors above would be right where you're standing." She said as she followed his gaze. "I haven't had to shore up buildings since Rush Valley."

"I heard about that." Mustang remarked as his eye traced down her braid. "All that experience must have come in handy yesterday."

She shot him a dark look and then grinned. "But at least my alchemy is useful. As I recall you were reduced to shoveling at the last clear up."

"There is nothing wrong with a bit of hard work, Edward." Mustang said stiffly. "Is there Sergeant?" He asked the man as he lifted another rock from the pile where he had been listening to them, along with most of the others.

"No Sir." He replied.

"Careful Mustang, that could almost be construed as you volunteering." Edward said. "I mean, far be it for me to get between you and hard work."

"I have only just returned from a week's inspection tour, Edward. I am not about to volunteer for _anything_." He replied with decided emphasis.

"Lazy, Mustang. Getting lazy in your old age." Edward said with a grin and then laughed as he frowned.

He looked at her. She was enjoying herself and it showed. Her eyes were bright and her face was lit up from within. He would have liked to have said that it was because he was here but he knew that was slightly unrealistic. He was just pleased to see that she had missed him and he was willing to let it rest there for the moment. He felt relieved to find the banter there and none of the awkwardness he had feared.

"Why are they moving the debris anyway, Edward?" He asked suddenly.

"For the benefit of the Research morons." Edward replied and then pursed her lips. Maybe she should talk to him now and not wait for Monday. He raised an eyebrow at her pensive expression. This was what he had missed. Her expressive face.

"What is it, Edward?"

"I want to restructure the Research department." She said and he blinked.

"You want to what?"

"Restructure Research. It's a mess Mustang, and it needs fixing." She waved her hand around. "I mean look at it. They were playing with things they knew nothing about. There wasn't a properly trained alchemist there at the time the tech decided to experiment. I don't even think they have one here at all. They contract shit out, Mustang. What happened to doing it all ourselves? Can you imagine what would have happened if we'd said no to clearing up after our assessment?" Edward started walking around and waving her hands faster as she became more enthusiastic. "We send all the alchemists out. Why don't any stay here? What about the ones who don't pass the exams? If we had to have people in, they'd be better choices than what we've got here. Put someone in charge who will listen and understand what's going on, not some petty big-headed asshole."

Roy watched as she paced around. He was hearing her speak but he wasn't quite listening to her. She had found something to do, she had found something other than what he had planned for her and he was feeling put out. It's not that he wasn't pleased she had found a purpose, it's just that it wasn't involved with what he had decided his purpose was. He had been looking at Intel and Investigations and she had found Research. Which would suit her better, he realised. And it wouldn't require her to leave at all. And once she had done with Research she could still come and look at Intel and Investigations with him. She just wanted to restructure it, she didn't want to run the department.

"Are you listening to me, Mustang?"

"Of course, Edward. I hang off your every word." He said absently.

"Sarcastic bastard." She said slowly and clearly and he blinked at her.

"What was that for?" He asked. She hadn't called him 'Bastard' for a long time.

"Call it a welcome back gift, Mustang." She smirked at him. "So will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Speak to the Fuhrer during the Monday debriefing and get him to authorize a wider purview than the one he gave me yesterday." She glared at him. "I thought you said you were hanging off my every word?"

"I lied." He smirked at her.

"Have I told you I hate you?"

"Not today, Edward." He smiled and then he spoke seriously. "I will mention it to him, but you have to have all your ideas, proposals and everything else written down and neatly presented. He'll want to see that you have thought this out and are serious in whatever your intentions are."

"But that means I'll be doing paperwork all weekend." She protested.

"Welcome to the club, Edward." He smiled at her.

* * *

Edward Elric swore a lot that weekend.

She had been proud of her self-control to his return. The fact that she had missed him had been completely covered up, she was sure of it. There had been a strange euphoria inside as she had spoken to him and she had ignored it as best she could. And it had been good. She had been worried that they would lose the ease of their bantering but it was still there and she had the feeling that as long as it was there, then things were fine.

He had looked a bit tired when she had first seen him. There had been a faint shadow under his eye and although it had still been there when he had left, he hadn't seemed as tired anymore. He had smiled at her a few times. And she had seen him staring at her hair as well. Had he been thinking of when he had let it down last week? And she had managed to surprise him with her plans for the Research department. His face had looked a bit strange actually when she had tried to define that expression later. It just didn't seem to have a name. It had been …ambiguous.

Getting carried away with her plans had been a good way to keep any awkwardness and nerves away but it had also landed her right in the middle of a paper filled weekend. What had seemed like an easy thing to talk about suddenly became a nightmare when trying to write it all down. This was worse than writing reports had ever been.

By Sunday lunchtime she fled her dorm leaving behind a sea of scrunched up paper and meaningless sentences. There was ink on her fingers and her mind was wanting to think about anything but qualifications for technicians. Thoughts of Roy Mustang hadn't made it any easier either. He kept appearing and distracting her from her ideas. It was all his fault for telling her to write it down. Why couldn't he have just told the Fuhrer? Why did they need it written down?

Because it's the Military Ed, she told herself as she headed to the hospital. They live on paperwork and ink. At least she thought, he was suffering the same as she was. That made it almost worthwhile. She smirked lightly. And he would have a lot more than she did, but then he'd been doing that sort of paperwork for years. He knew how it worked and she didn't. So he was probably getting through his a lot easier than she was. Okay, so maybe it wasn't fair after all.

She was frowning as she entered Elysia's room and found herself the object of intense scrutiny. She blinked and looked at them. Her face paled slightly. What the hell was he doing here?

"What?"

Gracia and Riza exchanged quick glances and then said "Nothing".

"You've got ink on your face, Edward." The single dark eye did not blink and Roy stared at her. Her hair was in a loose tail and she was wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt and her gloves, as always.

"That's your fault, Mustang." Edward said as she tried to stop herself from blushing as he kept staring. "If I didn't have to do that proposal, I wouldn't be covered in ink." She hadn't expected to find him here. And why were Riza and Gracia staring at her like that? Just how big was that ink stain?

"Roy was telling us about your ideas, Edward." Riza said in the soft tones they were all using. "I think it's a good idea and one that would suit you."

"I wouldn't be running it, Riza. Just getting it restructured." Ed said as she made her way to look down on Elysia. The small girl was sleeping and looked so much better. There was colour in her face and she stayed awake more often now. Her responses were still slow but they had improved from earlier in the week and everyone had been pleased at that. Edward brushed her fingers down Elysia's arm and smiled. Elysia could take as long as she wanted to get better, Edward thought, as long as she did get better.

Roy watched Edward. That was a surprisingly tender smile he thought. She rarely showed any signs of tenderness and softness. It was like pain and fear. Things she rarely let anyone see. It said much that she would show it while he was here and he wondered if she realised it. Obviously she had grown close to the two women. Since Elysia's party he felt he had started to reconnect with them as well and he felt comfortable with them. He had a feeling they knew he liked Edward but he wasn't exactly sure. They hadn't asked any specific questions as such, but there had been a few comments that began 'We told Edward to tell you' and 'Edward did tell you about...' He was familiar with the feel of a Hawkeye look, he found out that Gracia had a similar one as well and it was just as sharp. He looked at Edward. He wondered what they knew of Edward's feelings.

Riza and Gracia watched Roy stare at Edward. They had seen the slight dismay on Edward's face as she had seen Roy here and they had managed to keep from smiling. The attraction was still as strong as ever. A week apart hadn't diminished it at all. And Roy's continual stare merely confirmed that he was attracted to Edward. Now they just wanted to know how aware of it the two of them were. They had spoken of 'Roy' often during the last week to Ed without being too obvious about it. After all they were close friends, it would be only natural to use his name in conversation. They had been waiting for her to use it too, but it hadn't happened yet.

Edward turned around, the smile still on her face and froze as she saw Mustang watching her. Damn, she had hoped he'd been looking elsewhere. He smiled slightly and she frowned as she felt some of the tension slip away. Her lips quirked as his eyebrow rose and she smiled back at him. His face relaxed and his smile widened and she had to stop herself from laughing.

"How much of the proposal have you done, Ed?" Gracia asked and watched as Edward turned to face her without taking her eyes from Roy until the last moment. She missed the pleased expression that crossed his face. But Riza didn't.

"Not much. It's easier to tell it than it is to write it." Ed said, slightly frustrated.

"You've written reports before, Ed. It's not that much different." Riza remarked.

"They were easier." Ed puffed her breath out. "I only had to describe what happened. This time it's what I want to happen and I cover it all in ten lines and when I try to expand it, I feel like I'm just repeating what I've already written."

"Your reports were full of elaborations, Edward." Roy drawled lightly. Ed glared at him and then she smiled.

"They were there to see if you were actually reading my reports, Mustang."

"I did read them, Edward."

"Eventually." Riza added and Roy glared at her as Ed choked on a laugh.

"I think you ought to help Ed, Roy. After all you gave her this task." Gracia said and they both turned to look at her.

"I don't have anything with me Gracia, and its ok, a few more hours at it and I'll have it done." Edward protested even as Roy stared at Gracia and then narrowed his eye.

"I have a pen and paper in my bag, Ed. You can at least write down some notes and pointers that will help." Riza offered. Roy stared suspiciously at her as Ed shook her head.

"No really, I'm sure I can do this on my own."

"I don't think you're going to win this one, Edward." Roy said casually and caught the quick look between Riza and Gracia as he turned slightly to look at Edward. She scrunched her nose up and blew her breath out with small grumbling noise.

"There's nowhere to write in here." Ed said as she accepted the pen and paper from Riza.

"Just sit on my bed." Gracia said and Ed grimaced at the cot bed against the wall.

"Fine." She muttered under her breath as she went and sat cross-legged on the bed, balancing the pad on her knee. Roy picked up a chair and put it in front of her.

"Use this as your table, it will be easier." He remarked as he sat on the edge of the bed. He watched as she leant forward and placed the pad on the chair seat.

"Now exactly what did you want to do with the Research department?" He asked her.

Riza and Gracia watched as the two began to talk and Ed wrote her notes. They exchanged smiles and settled in their seats at Elysia's bedside. They could hear Roy and Ed's low voices in the background as they spoke about everything except the two on the bed.

* * *

It didn't take Ed long to realise that bending over your crossed legs like that made your back ache, so she twisted around to be flat on her stomach and on a diagonal angle to the chair.

"I can't say that, Mustang." She protested as she looked up from the pad.

"Why not? You've already called them morons. And to their faces. Using 'imbecile' is just a politer way of phrasing it." He looked at her. "At this stage just you, me and the Fuhrer will read this. It's after that, that it becomes more important to have everything correctly formulated. Consider this a good draft."

"I never did drafts before, either good or bad."

"That goes a long way to explain some of your reports." Roy remarked. He reached over to take the pen from her hand and absently twisted himself around to lie on the bed on his stomach. He took the notepad off the chair and placed it on the bed between them. "Look, you need your proposal to start with these points," and he marked some of the comments she had already written. She read the lines, even if they were upside down to her now and nodded.

"Then you need to follow them with just an extra line or two for clarification. Don't try for paragraphs. They just confuse people. Keep it as simple as you can and he'll understand what you're trying to say. You only need to go into excessive detail if you're giving a proposal like this to an idiot, or a moron." He scribbled a few lines down and then turned the pad around for her to read.

"That must be why I always gave you such detailed reports." She said absently as she added to his comments. He smiled and watched the way her bangs shifted as she blew them out of her eyes. "What about this then?" She asked as she turned the book around and he had to blink himself back into focus before he could read her writing.

"That's good but have you considered that 'command' actually has two m's in it." He remarked as he added more lines in his elegant scrawl.

"Oh shut up Mustang. At least my writing is legible." Edward replied as she took the pad back and squinted at his comments before starting a new page.

"Legible by whose standards, Edward? It leans in every direction all at the same time."

"Have I told you I hate you?"

"Not today." He replied as he took the book for his turn.

* * *

Gracia and Riza stared at each other after Edward and Roy had left.

"That shouldn't happen." Gracia said as her breath puffed out.

"I can't believe those two." Riza said as she blinked.

"How can they be so calm like that? When I was attracted to Maes, I baked an apple pie without the apples in it. How could they just lay there and talk like that?" Gracia asked.

"We're not wrong, they are attracted to each other." Riza almost asked, wanting confirmation.

"Yes and I'm almost certain Roy knows how Edward feels about him."

"I agree with that."

"But Ed's not behaving in the typical awkward way she's supposed to." Gracia stated. "It's not… natural."

"She was focusing on that proposal and you know how Edward can concentrate. She didn't even react to his jibes."

"Yes, but he didn't react to hers either and Roy was not concentrating as hard as she was." Gracia looked at the indents on her bed. "And when was the last time you saw Roy that relaxed around anybody?"

"I think Ed was relaxed because she hasn't really considered that Roy might like her too."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know I was nervous when I was worrying about what Jean was thinking and whether he was feeling what I was feeling. That's when I felt most awkward. I dropped my gun at one point and had to pretend I had cramp in my hand."

"We always forget that Edward doesn't really see herself as female yet, Riza." Gracia said slowly. "Look at her comments earlier about having a bag."

"_Why don't you have a bag, Ed?" Gracia had asked as Ed handed back the pen and denuded notepad to Riza._

"_I don't need one, Gracia. That's what pockets are for."_

"_How, Ed?"_

"_Well, all I need is my dorm key and a bit of money. It just goes in a pocket." She stared at Gracia, not understanding why Gracia groaned softly as Riza shook her head and Mustang laughed silently._

"Maybe it makes it more difficult for her to see these things. We don't know what happened during those four years she was gone. And before that I believe he was completely oblivious to any of that sort of thing."

"I think Ed has the logic for this, she picked up on being attracted to Roy from what I was saying fairly quickly." Gracia mused.

"Do we give her a little push for the next step, Gracia? Or shall we let Roy do that?" Riza asked with a slight grin.

"Do you think he will?"

"I think so."

* * *

Roy drove Ed back to the dorms in silence. Roy was concentrating on the road and Ed was looking over the little pile of notes she had. His writing really wasn't that much better than hers she decided, even if it did all lean in the one direction. And she hadn't been trying for neatness today. The bed hadn't exactly been easy to write on with its dips and soft spots. But she had the notes and it had felt almost like the evening conversations except that he had been right there in front of her.

She had felt his eye on her a few times, but he had seemed as relaxed as she had been. There had been no weight to his look. He had had that human open feel to him again and she was finding that sensing that feeling in him could calm her nerves better than any severe mental self-threatening ever could. She didn't feel awkward around him when he was being human. The attraction seemed to slip off to the side and just watch and slip in comments like 'see the way his hair spikes there' or 'his fingers are really quite long'. It became a running commentary that she didn't mind. But when he seemed to pull back she had to fight to keep control on the attraction as all those little comments would stop being quiet asides and become loud shouts that had her mind turning every which way. It was a strange thing and she didn't know if she liked it.

It was as if she was seeing two Roy Mustangs. One she knew, had known since she was twelve, was familiar with and knew exactly where she stood with him. And then there was the other one, the one that tied her stomach in knots and made her quiver and twitch. And she had no idea how to behave around that one. She couldn't even tell the difference between them. She could only feel it. She sighed. Why couldn't he be just one thing?

"Can't read your own writing Edward?" Mustang's amused voice had her looking up.

"No, yours." She replied and saw that they had arrived at the dorms.

"Edward." His voice was low and she turned back to face him. He had shifted slightly and was leaning quite close.

"Thank you." He said and she could almost feel his breath on her face. His voice had those soft edges again. The ones that coated the confusion in a warm layer before pooling somewhere deep in her chest.

"What for?" Her voice felt slow and she blinked as he smiled at her. His smile had soft edges.

"For being there for Gracia and Elysia while I was away." His eye even seemed to be soft.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving his. "I don't need thanks for that."

"Maybe not, but I have to say it. They mean a lot to me. I couldn't have gone if you hadn't been there." Soft and serious. Why did she have the feeling there were things he wasn't saying? His words were obvious, why was she hearing shadowy words behind them?

"I wouldn't have been anywhere else." Edward said quietly. "Besides, look at all the care you gave Al while I was gone."

"You're saying it's an exchange?" His voice was still soft but his eyebrow rose.

"No, I'm saying it's a family thing." Her eyes flickered and a small line of pink appeared on her cheeks. "You and the others were our family, our closest friends. You looked out for us." The blush became more pronounced as her eyes looked at the paper in her hands and his smile widened slightly. "Like a family. You cared for us and we cared for you." Her voice faded slightly.

"Edward. We all still care." Her eyelids closed and her stomach flipped. What the hell had he put into his voice? It went straight past soft and gentle and sent a wave right through her that had her swallowing a lump of what felt like pure attraction only hotter. She took a shaky breath as silently as she could and slowly opened her eyes. Her hands, she could see her gloved hands. They were holding those notes and if she didn't relax her fingers right now, she was never going to be able to straighten them out, they were being held so tight. Breathe again Ed, open your fingers, Ed, come on, you can do this, she told herself.

Fingers brushed her forehead and she stopped breathing again. It was just like last week only more so. Much more so. If she looked up, he'd have that expression in his eye again, wouldn't he? It felt like a long time before her head actually lifted and she met his eye.

It was that look, only it was better or worse or different or…I don't know, she thought. He's looking right into me. What if he sees? What if he knows? What if he feels the same? What if he doesn't? Why am I not breathing? Why can't I move? Why can't I stop staring at him? Why is he smiling like that? I've never seen him smile like that. What kind of smile is that? What? Where is it going? Why isn't he smiling anymore? Why did his eye flicker? Is that his breath I can feel on my face? Did his hand just tremble then? He looks like he's going to say something. What's he going to say? Do I want to know what he's going to say? What if it's something bad? What would be bad? How the hell should I know? Why is he taking so long about it? Just say it, whatever it is. It can't be too hard to say. What is it? 'Time to go.' 'Get out my car.' 'See you tomorrow.' Oh come on, I'm dying here, Mustang.

"…lunch on Tuesday?"

Her mind stopped just as he finished speaking and Edward blinked. His face was right in front of hers and now he was frowning slightly and she felt her face start to burn and she couldn't stop the highly intelligent response of "Huh?"

He smiled and she felt his fingers, no longer trembling…had she imagined that? ... pushing her hair back.

"I asked if you were still alright for lunch on Tuesday, Edward."

"Sure." She replied dazedly. Her mind was somewhere back in the time of two minutes ago.

"Good." He smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

Edward stood and watched the car disappear. She blinked. She didn't remember how she had gotten out of the car. She looked at the notes in her hand. I should go and write them up. I should go up to my room. I really shouldn't stand here anymore. The car's no longer there. It's gone. He's gone. I'll see him tomorrow. I should go and write that proposal. Lunch on Tuesday. I'm going to lunch on Tuesday.

Her left hand came up and pressed lightly against her breastbone. She took a deep breath.

"I have got it so bad."

She stopped as she turned to go into the building. That look on his face, that expression in his eye, that tone in his voice. She froze completely and several images linked together.

He knew. She swallowed hard. He knew.

And he was… interested?

* * *

Roy Mustang drove home extra carefully and kept his mind strictly on the road. It was only when he got safely home did he fall into his chair and let his breath out and let himself shake.

Edward had such an expressive face. Not quite every thought had chased across her face but more than enough for him to follow her. And he had been dumbstruck. He had never seen anything as intriguing as her endless self-questioning and her puzzlement. It had not been the confusion of awakening attraction. No, this had been an awareness of him. He had sent her into this round of questions. By being there, by being so close. But how else could he get her to start thinking of him? To get her to realise that he liked her.

He had nearly asked her out but had stopped himself. Lunch first. Coward, his mind whispered. Shut up he replied. Lunch first. Edward was smart, she was intelligent. She'd figure it out, wouldn't she? Before Tuesday? What if she didn't? What if she tied herself up in knots? What if she went into denial? What if she…?

He looked at the empty room.

"What if she doesn't want anything to do with me?"

He shook his head. No, Edward would not do that. Edward was attracted. The thought of him liking her would not send her running. Edward was stronger than that. Dammit, he was stronger than that too. He wasn't about to let her go into denial or anywhere else without being right there trying to change her mind.

It wasn't going to be easy. But he could be stubborn if he had to. He could be as stubborn as she was. He just had to remember to take it slowly. Slowly and stubbornly. He could do that.

It had been the easiest thing in the world to lay there and work over those notes with her. Their conversation had been as easy as their phone calls had been and he had felt no tenseness in her or himself. How pleasant would it be to have that sense of peace with her all the time? That was the feeling he had been chasing when he had envisioned her here, before he had gotten ready for the Ball.

Roy frowned and he walked to his bedroom. He stood in front of his dresser and paused for a moment. He watched his hand reach out to the small drawer and saw it open as he pulled his hand back. He looked at his reflection.

"It's more than attraction, isn't it?"

He stared at himself and couldn't reply. He looked into the drawer. Edward's watch glittered there beside the silk flowers from her hair.

"Isn't it?"

* * *

Monday morning came too soon for both of them.

Edward appeared at the office door, put the proposal on Riza's desk, met no-one's eyes and said she would be at the Research site all day.

Roy disappeared into his office and then left mid-morning for his meeting with the Fuhrer.

"What happened there?" Fuery asked in a surprised voice. "I thought they were getting along now."

"They were fine yesterday at the hospital." Riza said thoughtfully.

"They're not angry. So they can't have had an argument." Jean remarked.

"It's obvious." Breda said as he leant back in his chair and scratched his stomach.

"What is it then?" Fuery asked.

"They _like_ each other, Kain." Breda pronounced and Riza and Jean choked as the others stared at him.

"What?" Fuery asked in disbelief.

"They like each other. You know, attracted to each other."

"Ed? But that... that..."

"What's wrong, Kain?" Havoc asked as he leant forward, putting his elbows on his desk and putting his chin in his hands.

"It just seems strange. I mean Edward, _our_ Edward and _Mustang_?"

"There's nothing wrong with it, Fuery." Falman said as he thought about it.

"I didn't say it was wrong, Vato. It's just that it's hard to believe. I mean, think back to how they used to argue and fight when we were at Eastern. And Ed was male back then." Fuery waved his small hands around.

"But Ed is female now, Kain." Breda replied.

"Edward still thinks she's male, Heymans." Fuery remarked. "I heard her the other day on the phone to Al. She told him that she was still his older brother."

"It doesn't matter, Kain. If they like each other, then that's how it is." Breda stated.

"That's a simplistic view, isn't it Heymans?" Falman asked.

"Not really, Vato. Lets face it, if you like someone and they like you, isn't that how it's supposed to be?"

"It's not always that easy. How do you know if you both like each other?" Falman leant forward slightly.

"That's the risk you take, Vato. No-one said there were guarantees. We're talking about something that has _potential_. Things like that don't just fall into your lap. You have to take chances and put yourself out there." Breda leant back further as Riza and Jean exchanged a quick glance.

"Not everyone can do that though, Heymans." Fuery commented and the office went silent briefly as they avoided looked at Riza and Jean.

"You can work at it though, Kain." Havoc said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Jean, I shouldn't…"

"It's ok, Kain. We sorted it out. And the Boss and the Chief will too." He replied.

"At least they are doing something." Breda said lightly. "Unlike others." He added and looked at Falman.

"Why are you looking at me?" He asked with a frown and leant back as if sensing a vague threat.

"Because you're slower than Havoc was." Breda smiled slightly.

"I don't see you doing anything either." Falman retorted.

"I at least, am aware of what's around me. You're not." Breda said calmly.

"There's nothing to be seen." Falman said firmly and then looked around as the others tried, and failed, to stop themselves from laughing.

"What? What am I not aware of?"

The flash of blue from the corner of a butt skirt flared briefly in the office doorway as its owner spun on a heel and strode quickly down the corridor.

Only Breda and Riza saw it.

* * *

Author's Note: Running late again this week, I know and this chapter's a bit shorter than normal, but the next scene needs much more space...lol

Thank you so much as always to each and every one of you for reading and reviewing and commenting. It is what keeps me throwing the plot bunnies into the monster's mouth. Terima kasih.

silken :)


	22. Changes

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Changes**

"You certainly managed to get a lot done, Mustang." The Fuhrer said as he looked up from the last folder.

"Yes Sir."

"Your next tour is southwards, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yes Sir."

The Fuhrer put the file on his large desk and looked at the man opposite him. They had been going through the paperwork generated by Mustang's inspection tour. The man had surprised him for a change and the Fuhrer was glad to see it. Usually the files took barely an hour, this time they had taken two. Mustang had actually worked while he had been away. Even his signature looked firmer.

"Well, I'm impressed, Mustang." The Fuhrer remarked and leant back in his chair. "What changed?"

"Pardon, Sir?" Mustang blinked and stared at him.

"You've never put this much effort into these tours since I've known you." The Fuhrer waved his hand at the files as he spoke. "Why so thorough this time?"

Mustang paused. He frowned slightly, unsure of what to say. Telling the Fuhrer that he had come out of a black hole because of a blonde didn't seem quite the right thing to say.

"You are the youngest Brigadier-General. You are the highest ranked alchemist. You are the most reclusive and laziest officer I have." The Fuhrer spoke calmly as he watched Mustang's eye widen. "Yet you stood at the Parade and attended the reception after. Your brief appearance at the Ball kept people talking for two days. You went away for a week and the paperwork suggests you were gone for two. And there's yet another rumour that you and Fullmetal are at each other's throats. This is hardly behaviour that I'm used to seeing or hearing about from you. So you can see why I'd be curious as to your sudden change of heart."

"Edw…Fullmetal and I are what, Sir?" Roy managed to ask, rather stunned at what the Fuhrer was saying. His mind latched on to the one thing he had spent most of last night thinking about.

"According to my secretary, who I believe heard it from the switchboard, who in turn heard it from Supply who got it from Recruitment, from something overheard in the Mess, she hates you and you retaliated with extra duties." He kept his smile hidden as he saw Mustang struggle for coherent thought. He wondered if the man knew that there was a bet going as to just how long Fullmetal would stay under his command. Their little spats and arguments had become grist for the rumour mill. Sterben idly wondered how long it would be before that bet became null and void and a more applicable one began. He wondered if he should start it himself.

"I have no idea what started that one, Sir. We haven't disagreed on anything for a while, Sir." Roy shrugged. "And Edward always says she hates me." He added without thinking and saw the Fuhrer blink at him.

"Really?" He asked. "Then someone has taken it out of context perhaps." The Fuhrer smiled slightly. He was well aware of how easily rumours could be started. And he was thinking how Mustang had fixated on that item instead of any of the others he had listed. Yes, it wouldn't be long he thought.

"Actually Edward is part of the reason I requested a longer meeting with you, Sir." Roy said.

"Yes, I wondered about that. Does it have anything to do with my unanswered question?"

"No, Sir." Roy hesitated. "It's difficult to know how to answer your question, Sir."

"Well, let us have lunch and you can answer that question as best you can." The Fuhrer stood up and moved from behind his desk. "I don't like unanswered questions, Mustang."

* * *

Edward Elric looked up at the sound of a throat clearing beside her. A nervous looking private stood there and she held back a sigh. It had been one thing after another all morning and her head was starting to ache again. Not enough sleep hadn't helped either. A dark eye winked in her mind and she silently cursed. All your damned fault Mustang, that I don't sleep any more, she thought.

"Yes, Cal?"

"The contractor is here, Sir."

Ed frowned as she stood up. There shouldn't be any more contractors here. "Where is he?"

The private pointed to where the working party were helping shift the new props into place. "Over there, Sir. Sergeant Terlat said to come and get you."

"Okay. Thank you." Edward said absently and began to walk across. Her eyes scanned the man in civilian clothes. Slightly taller than she was, rather solidly built with brown hair and a lined face.

Sergeant Terlat turned as she approached and saluted. "Sir, Mr Bier wished to speak to the officer in charge."

"Thank you Sergeant." Edward said calmly, not missing the gleam in Terlat's eyes or the lack of introduction. She had no jacket on and her watch chain was tucked deep into her pocket. Her white shirt was dusty and her gloves streaked. Terlat had spoken to him and obviously found him wanting and was not adverse to having the man put down slightly. Edward could oblige. She had learnt to trust the Sergeant's instincts.

"Mr Bier, I believe you were the contractor for this department?" Ed asked.

"I am contracted for all rubbish removal."

"As of last Saturday, all contracts were cancelled."

"You can't do that!" The man's eyes opened wide and he frowned. "Where is Colonel Herbert? He can clear this up."

"He's in the hospital, Mr Bier." Ed said politely and the man blinked at her.

"Why?" He asked rudely and Edward took a deep breath. She was not going to lose her temper today.

"Because I broke his nose." Edward replied and the man looked at her more carefully.

"Then you should be disciplined."

"Mr Bier, as you are not a member of the military, how we handle things in none of your concern." Ed replied firmly.

"When the Colonel returns, things will change." Bier threatened.

"When the Colonel is released from the hospital, he will not be returning to this department." Ed said and her eyes went hard. "Now, I suggest that as your business here is concluded, you leave."

"You don't get rid of me that easily. I will make a formal complaint."

Edward smiled. "Very well. I will have the Sergeant escort you to the Fuhrer's office where he is in a meeting with my immediate superior at this very moment and you can personally deliver your complaint to them."

Mr Bier looked at the blonde and saw no sign of bluff or false bravado about her. He wasn't going to be able to intimidate her and she seemed not to care whether he made the complaint or not. If she had broken Colonel Herbert's nose and had not been reprimanded for it, then his complaint was not going to be received favourably. Although she had not actually said that she hadn't been called on her action. For all he knew, this could be her punishment.

He nodded and the blonde's smile widened.

"Sergeant!" She called and he appeared rather quickly. She knew he had been listening. "Escort Mr Bier to the Fuhrer's office. Brigadier-General Mustang is there as well. Tell them that Lieutenant-Colonel Elric has sent you as the gentleman wishes to make a formal complaint in regards to her behaviour."

"Elric?" Bier asked sharply and both the blonde and the Sergeant turned to face him.

"Yes, I am Lieutenant-Colonel Elric."

"You must be related to the Fullmetal Alchemist." He said. "Surely you can see that I'm just trying to protect my business here. The People's Alchemist would understand."

"Yes, he does understand. But he also understands that the military can look after its' own and in this case there is no injured party. It is merely a …policy change."

"The Fullmetal Alchemist would never say anything like that."

"I just did, Mr Bier. Now are you going to make that complaint or leave? You are wasting both the Sergeant's and my time."

"You… what? That's impossible!" Bier paled and he stared at her. He had not attended the Parade and Edward's changed circumstances had had little impact in Central so far. There had been some talk, mostly from those who had seen the banner, but nothing substantial because soldiers did not talk or allow their gossip to go beyond the compound's walls. Her very brief appearance at the Ball had been seen by very few civilians.

Edward sighed and resisted the urge to rub her forehead. "Sergeant, just escort him out of here. I really don't think we can do anything further for you Mr Bier. Good bye." Ed turned and began to walk away. She could hear the contractor protesting and she sighed again.

"…not really him. That's just a freak." The words came floating to her and she almost turned around to check to see if she really had heard it correctly. Her face felt hot and yet her hand felt cold. Even that asshole at the exam hadn't gone so far, but then he hadn't been aware of the full situation. If he had, he might have been more obnoxious than he had been. She didn't hear the Sergeant's reply, her mind was spinning too fast.

"Sir!" One of the privates called urgently and she swore as she saw one of the props starting to give way.

* * *

"Actually there were two matters I wished to raise with you Sir." Roy said as they sat down in the Fuhrer's dining room.

"Very well, let us start with them."

Roy took a breath and tried to organize his thoughts.

"It all stems from the incident in the Research department, Sir. Edward reported that the substances responsible for the explosion had come from a lab that had just been closed down."

"Yes, so I believe."

"She also said that the team who were sent to destroy the lab's stocks not only did not contain an alchemist, they seemed to have no trained personnel at all. From what I could find out over the last two days, the team was from the Investigations department. Edward's report on what happened at the Research department seems to indicate that both departments have a similar problem. They lack properly qualified staff."

Roy stopped speaking as the servers came in with their soup and then departed. He watched as the Fuhrer tasted his soup and nodded for him to continue. Roy chose his next words carefully.

"It is my understanding that Intel knew about this Lab some time ago and yet it has taken them until last week to actually act. I realise that they would have had to do a thorough investigation before taking any action, but I find it more difficult to understand how a department that used to be able to work so efficiently in the past has slipped so much now." He paused and met the Fuhrer's gaze. He took a deep breath. "I think it goes further than lacking staff, I think there needs to be an overhaul of their methods and practices as well."

The Fuhrer looked at him. "That's a bold statement."

"I am aware of that, Sir. But that is what I feel." Roy stared back.

"And Research?"

"From what Edward said, it is much the same although the fact that they actually make use of contractors and that there were no alchemists in attendance makes me believe it is worse."

Both men fell silent for a short while as they finished their soup. Roy was trying to keep his mind on where he was and not letting it slip into the same circles he had been thinking since that moment he had stared in the mirror and hadn't been able to answer his own question. The Fuhrer had said he didn't like unanswered questions, Roy was finding he was getting unsettled at the possible answers to his question. Exactly how far past attraction for Edward had he gone? He had never had to ask himself that before. He had never been past attraction before and he was finding this new place slightly alarming.

He had labeled it 'like'. He _liked_ Edward. He liked her more than attraction allowed for. The only problem he had with _like_ was that it felt like a beginning, not a continuation of attraction. There were possibilities to _like_ that attraction hadn't had. And there was need. A need to know more about her, a need to see her or at least, to know exactly where she was at any given moment of the day. He had never felt like this before and it made it difficult for him to concentrate on anything else. It didn't help knowing that he couldn't do anything about it until Edward gave him some sign that she wasn't going to run in the opposite direction and was at least considering the possibilities.

"Mustang?" The Fuhrer's voice called him back to where he was and he frowned as he realised he had been distracted again.

"Sorry, Sir." He realised the servers had returned with their main meal. He didn't even remember the soup bowls being removed. This _like_ was much more potent than attraction had ever been, he thought.

When the room was empty except for them the Fuhrer looked at his plate and pushed it to one side and leant his left elbow on the table and let his chin barely rest on the backs of his fingers. His pale eyes looked at Mustang.

"I need you to answer my question, Mustang." There was no compromise in his voice and his eyes stayed firmly fixed on the man opposite him.

Roy stared back and felt his hands tighten on the cutlery and he placed them carefully on the table. He met the Fuhrer's eyes and knew he had to find the words now.

"For some time now, I have become aware that I have been …reluctant to involve myself in what has been happening around me. Lately it has become more apparent to me that I need to become more active." He paused, trying to choose his words carefully and the Fuhrer shook his head at him.

"No, I don't want empty phrases. I have enough people out there if I want to hear that. Let's be blunt, Mustang." The Fuhrer said. "Four years ago you tried hard to leave and were refused and since then you have done as you have been told to the bare minimum, without any display of interest or even distaste. The only time you have extended yourself has been to keep your team together and to help Alphonse Elric. For who, I remind you, you deliberately relinquished your rank."

He stared at the dark haired man and noticed the tenseness in his shoulders as he continued.

"I want an honest answer, Mustang. I want to know why you have changed. No-one questions your loyalty, but I do want to know your motives."

"Then I can't answer your question completely, Sir." Roy replied without thinking. "I don't know exactly why it has changed, I just know that it has." He took a deep breath. "Yes, I tried to leave four years ago. The military was quite frankly the last place I wanted to be. When they wouldn't let me go, I found it easier to put a distance between me and everyone else. I realised as I watched the recruits that I have a responsibility I have been ignoring and neglecting."

"How serious are you about taking up these neglected responsibilities, Mustang?"

"Very, Sir."

The Fuhrer appraised Mustang as he sat there. There had been determination in that short response and even more on his face. He took a breath and leant back in his chair.

"How much of your decision is influenced by the return of Edward Elric, Mustang?"

"Sir?" Mustang gaped at him.

"I'm not isolated here, Mustang. Sooner or later, every rumour and whisper ends up here. It's probably one of the hardest parts of this position, trying to decide which ones I need to listen to and which ones to ignore." He focused on the stunned man. "Your name has become more prevalent in those whispers and rumours. I have seen some of it for myself. You may have become aware of these responsibilities at the Parade, Mustang, but you have been changing long before that. Ever since Edward returned."

Roy was pale, he knew it. His palms were damp against his gloves and he resisted the urge to run his hands down his thighs. He swallowed. He hadn't realised his actions had become the subject of that much interest. He hadn't realised the impressions that his actions would cause. He hadn't been thinking of what people would think or say, he had been thinking only of…Edward.

"I saw how you reacted when Edward was to be posted out, Mustang. If something similar arises, and Edward is sent elsewhere, is all this determination and willingness that you have now, going to disappear?" The pale eyes watched as Mustang looked as disconcerted as he was obviously feeling if that tremor in his hands was anything to go by.

"I… she…" Roy paused and took a deep breath and fisted his hands on the table to stop them from shaking, his eye focused on the tablecloth in front of him. "Edward is not someone you can remain… indifferent to. She has always made the people around her react. And I am no exception." A wry expression crossed his face. "There are no exceptions." He looked up and met the Fuhrer's gaze. "Edward made me aware of my isolation but I am the one who made the decision to come out of it."

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment.

"Have you ever wondered why we accept so many alchemists into the military ranks and yet have none in Central, Mustang?" He said in an almost casual manner and Roy frowned at the apparent change of subject.

"Not really Sir."

"Alchemists go out and work in the regional bases because it helps the military's image. Four years ago people did not want too many alchemists in one place. You and I both recall how alchemists were viewed during and after Ishbal. There was a similar perception after Liore and that kept many away and some resigned as well. We had to bring in the single year term of service and offer ten places just to get alchemists to apply. The military has never had a lot of alchemists but its' been enough to worry the public and even some of the other Generals, so we have to find a balance as to how we can use them. Perhaps we have erred on the side of caution for too long.

"At the end of every year, we lose at least half of the alchemists. They serve their year and they leave. They return to their homes and set up their little workshops but they don't stay with us and so we have to keep replacing them. Even now there are barely twenty Certified alchemists and half of them are our newest recruits. Next year it will all happen again."

The Fuhrer paused and looked at the Brigadier-General. The man had regained his colour and composure and he was listening. The Fuhrer kept going.

"Just over a year ago we finally managed to settle the last of the border disputes and there was what could be labeled an exodus of soldiers and personnel leaving military service. Instead of having just State Alchemist numbers disappearing, we had every area show signs of depletion. This last year has been relatively peaceful and people have become complacent, especially in the military. We run the country and it is our responsibility to see that it is kept safe. We can't afford to stay complacent for too long, but we don't want to create new tensions if others perceive us as becoming a threat once again.

"What you are describing for Intelligence and Investigations is happening everywhere. That is why I need to know how serious you are about this, Mustang. If you decide to become involved in this, then you need to understand that I am going to use you to fix it."

* * *

Edward coughed and dust fell from her hair. Of course the prop had given way just as she had reached it. Of course the damned thing just had to have been shoring up the beam that was bracing half the floor of the room above. The resulting collapse had been rather spectacular according to several of the privates who had seen it. Edward had not seen it. She had been under it.

Now as she pushed her way out of the rubble she was swearing and cursing and wondering why she just didn't clap and fix the whole damned thing and do something else instead of using it as an abject example of just how bad things were. That would look good wouldn't it Ed, she thought. I spend all that time on a proposal and at the first little hiccup I go and take the easy way out. She nearly laughed. Having half the floor fall on you was not really a little thing, but it was something she was familiar with.

She shoved aside the reinforced concrete and let it roll away as she managed to get to the outside of the building. She stamped her feet and dust fell from everywhere. She coughed again and looked at the newer, larger hole in the building.

"Are you alright Sir?" Sergeant Terlat asked as he came running over. The Lieutenant-Colonel was covered in dust and her uniform was grey not blue. There was a scrape down one side of her cheek, her shirt was slightly torn at her right shoulder and she had a resigned expression on her face as she looked at the building.

"I'm fine, Terlat. Did the others get clear?" She asked as she looked around. She had shouted at them to get out as she had rushed in, ready to clap but wanting them out of the way first.

"Yes Sir, they're all safe."

"Good. But there's a shitload more work to do now." She sighed. "We'll need to shore up the floor again and clear out the extra rubble." She waved her right arm as she spoke. "Get someone to make sure the floors above are still completely evacuated. No-one is to come back in until...oh fuck."

Sergeant Terlat blinked and looked at the Lieutenant-Colonel. Several of the other soldiers were staring at her as well. He followed their gaze and saw them staring at her right arm. A piece of steel was embedded into her forearm. She remembered putting her arm up as the ceiling had collapsed.

"Oh great." Ed grumbled as she yanked it out with her left hand. "I am so dead now." She began to roll up her sleeve and looked at the hole in the automail. It didn't appear to have damaged any of the internal workings but she pulled her glove off and flexed her fingers to be on the safe side. Ed seriously considered fixing it alchemically but knew that Winry would know exactly what she had done and would not be happy. She sighed and then smiled. But if Winry came to fix her arm, then Al would come with her and that would more than make up for the lecture Winry was bound to give her.

"Sir?" Terlat asked tentatively. It was the first time they had seen her automail.

"It's ok, Terlat. It hasn't affected it too badly, fortunately. My mechanic is going to tear strips off me as it is." She looked at it. If she got too much more dust in it Winry would do more than tear strips off her. She tore her right shirt sleeve free at the shoulder and wrapped it around her arm making sure the hole was covered. With the ease of long practice she tied the knot one-handed and then looked at Terlat.

"Let's start on this again shall we?" She looked at the building and then looked around. There was only Terlat and his little crew here and they had been doing a great job for the last few days. After the initial complaints they had worked solidly and she had found it easy to work beside them as they shifted the rubble. "We need to get that shored up again."

"We'll need extra props." Terlat said as he eyed the hole.

"If I shore the main beam up, then you can put the props from there onto the other beams." Ed remarked thoughtfully. She walked forward and surveyed the way the beam had collapsed. She clapped and placed her hands on the wall. Steel twisted and unbent as blue sparks crackled in long lines. Edward watched carefully as the beam settled and kept the array in her mind as she cemented it into place.

She took her hands away as Terlat approached.

"It should make it safer for everyone now, Terlat." She said. "We really don't need it coming down again, but we'll still keep the higher floors emptied."

"Sir, if you can do that, why not use it to repair the rest?"

"Because you never know when you can't or won't able to use alchemy. It's too easy to rely on it. I try not to do that anymore."

* * *

Roy was completely blindsided by the Fuhrer's words and had to stop himself from gaping at the man again. There was no sign of anything but complete determination in the pale eyes that watched him. He wanted to use him to fix what? The entire military? Was the guy entirely sane? Roy Mustang hadn't had grandiose plans, he hadn't had _any _plans, for four years since his last ones had become ashes in his hands.

"Sir…" He began.

The Fuhrer looked almost amused as he stared at the shock on Mustang's face. He had never thought that he would be able to stun the man twice in ten minutes.

"Sir…" Roy tried again but stopped.

The Fuhrer looked at his fingernails briefly as he pondered.

"I am not insane, Mustang. Nor do I expect you to fix everything all at once." He met the dark eye steadily. "Starting with Intelligence and Investigations is good. But it is only the start. You mentioned Research. Given the fact that it lies in ruins, that might be a more appropriate place to start."

"Edward had some proposals as to what Research needed, Sir." Roy said as he thought back to the notes he had helped her with. She had been quite clear about what she had wanted.

"Is there a hard copy of these proposals?"

"At the office, Sir." He wasn't about to admit that he had forgotten them and they were still sitting on Hawkeye's desk where Edward had placed them this morning. "I'll have them here this afternoon, Sir."

"Good. Tell me what she suggests."

"Firstly she wants Research to have more qualified personnel, preferably alchemists, but if not then she suggests offering places to some of those who fail the exam. She also specifies that they not be civilians and that they be enlisted into the military. She says we should do away with the year's length of service and bring some alchemists back here. That the Research department, when running properly, could second it's techs out to other departments, like Intel and investigations. It needs to have a capable administrator appointed."

"I can imagine Edward's language was more colourful."

"She toned it down for the report, Sir."

"Very well, does she suggest anyone for a department Head?"

"No, Sir."

"You did a good job finding a replacement for Northern Command, I think I will let you appoint someone for Research."

"Me Sir?"

"Yes. Consider it your starting point. You will appoint someone and they will report to you should there be any problems. As long as I am kept informed of all decisions, you will have free rein. All I ask is that any problem that has or could have implications for the country's security must come to me." He said firmly.

"Yes Sir." Roy nodded. He would have been very surprised if the Fuhrer had not said something like that. Roy took a slow breath. This was more than he had planned for. This was moving faster than he had counted on as well. Suddenly whether he wanted to get involved or not was no longer the issue but the depth of that involvement was. But wasn't this what he had wanted?

"You are decided, Brigadier-General?" The Fuhrer asked and Roy understood that here was his last chance to refuse. After this there was no going back.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you?" Havoc exclaimed as Edward appeared. The office stopped and stared at the dusty creature in the doorway. Edward was grey. Grey shirt missing a sleeve, grey trousers and boots. Even the automail looked grey. Her hair was shedding dust in little clouds as the braid swung.

She shrugged. "The building fell down a little bit."

"A little bit?" Havoc spluttered.

"What happened to your arm, Edward?" Riza asked as she spotted the knotted sleeve bandage around her forearm.

"I got some steel in it when the roof collapsed. I came here to ring Winry before I go and clean up." Ed didn't look too impressed and the others smiled.

"Is the building secured, Ed?" Falman asked as Ed walked across to her desk.

"Yes. I made sure of it." She nodded and dust followed her. "I couldn't leave it as it was. It would have been too dangerous for the others." She sat down and picked up the phone. She took a deep breath before she dialed the number.

"_Rockbell Automail."_

"She's got you answering the phone now Al, has she?" Ed smiled as she heard his voice.

"_You'd be doing it too if you were here, Sis." _Al's voice reflected his smile.

"Is she around or better yet, you want to pass a message on?" Ed asked.

"_What have you done, Ed?"_

"It's nothing major, Al."

"_Define 'nothing major' Sister, or I will put her on."_

Ed scratched the side of her neck and her face became reluctant and cautious. The rest of the office watched with barely concealed grins. Al was the only person who could make Edward feel like a twelve year old trying to get herself out of trouble, even when she wasn't in any.

"You remember I told you about helping clear up after that Research explosion? Well one of the beams came loose and I got a bit of steel in my arm, that's all."

"_That's all? Edward!"_

"Al, seriously, it's barely a couple of inches and it missed all the wires and pneumatics, it's just damaged the plates, that's all."

"_What other injuries, Sister?"_

"Absolutely none, Al. It was only the arm."

"And your face, Edward." Hawkeye said loudly.

"What?" Edward looked at Riza. "What do you mean my face?"

"_What was that, Sis?"_

"I don't know Al. Hang on." Ed kept looking at Riza as she came over and placed a light finger on her cheek.

"You've got a scrape there, Edward."

"_What? Did she say a scrape?"_

"Yes she did. Wait. It's only a little thing right, Riza?" And the sherry eyed woman nodded.

"It's a small scrape."

"_We'll be on the next train."_

"Al! It's a scrape. I didn't even feel it." Ed protested. "You don't have to hurry, I was thinking maybe the end of the week or something."

"_And your arm?"_

"It's fine. Everything works like it should."

"_Hang on…yes, it's Ed, just her arm…no, nothing serious … a hole in the plate…Sis, Winry says we'll be on the first train tomorrow."_

"Tell her it's not that urgent. I'll keep it covered so no more dust gets into it."

"_Dust? Edward, if you get dust in there, so help me I will hit you so hard. Don't you dare get any dust in there or you'll be cleaning it out!" _Winry's voice came loud and sudden into her ears and Ed moved the phone away with wide eyes and a horrified look. The office struggled not to laugh.

"Winry. I'll keep it covered but I have to go back there. I can't let them do it all on their own." Ed said hurriedly and as firmly as she could. There was a long pause and Ed waited. She knew Winry and knew she was weighing up her concern with Ed's arm against Ed's sense of responsibility.

"_You can keep it covered?"_

"Yes. Or I can alchemise a plate over it." Ed replied, ready to pull the phone away from her ear again.

"_Don't you dare, Edward Elric! You keep that right away from my automail!" _Winry almost shouted at her. _"We'll leave tomorrow. Just don't do any more damage to it."_ And she hung up before Ed could ask to speak to Al again.

Ed put the receiver back and then let her head thump on the desk and a small halo of dust rose up around her. The office rang with laughter.

"So when do they arrive, Ed?" Havoc asked.

"Three days. They're on the first train tomorrow." Edward groaned as she sat up straight. "I really need to go and change now. And a new shirt as well."

"Roy always has a spare shirt here, Edward. You can take that. There's no way you can walk through the halls looking like that."

"It's only back to the dorm, Riza. It's not that far." Edward protested, her eyes wide at the thought of wearing _his _shirt.

"It doesn't matter, Edward. Where is your jacket?"

"I left it at Research."

"Then you need the clean shirt. Come on you can change in the office." Riza said with her no nonsense attitude that Ed just knew she couldn't win against. Unless she tried harder.

"Riza, the shirt will be too big for me." Ed managed to say and felt her face heating as she spoke. She hated using her height as an excuse, but desperate times required desperate measures.

"You can resize it alchemically, Edward." Riza replied and Ed swore under her breath. There was no way she was going to get out of this. "Follow me."

Edward followed Riza feeling like a prisoner marching to her doom. She watched as Riza opened one of the cupboards to reveal two full uniforms and she pulled out one of the shirts.

"Roy hasn't worn these for years so I doubt he'll miss it." Edward took the shirt carefully as Riza held it out to her.

"Riza, I'm going to get this dirty just by putting it on." Edward said.

"It will get you to your dorm, Edward. You can clean it afterwards." Riza smiled. "Wear it, Edward. It's just a shirt." She added and ignored the way Edward stared at her.

"Fine." Edward said and put the shirt down before starting to take off her filthy one. Riza watched as Ed took off the ruined shirt and let it fall to the ground in a grey pile. Ed had been wearing a black tank top under her shirt and Riza could see the scars around her automail. Riza had never seen Edward's scars before and she was slightly stunned by the taut, red patches of skin that disappeared under the silver port. Riza suddenly saw golden eyes looking at her as Ed pulled the white shirt on.

"Edward…" Riza began softly. She didn't know what to say.

"It's nothing." Edward said, concentrating on doing the shirt buttons up. She hadn't thought when she had taken her shirt off. No-one here had seen those scars before. There were very few people who had seen them at all. And there were the deeper furrowed scars that lay hidden beneath the port. She was thankful she'd had the tank top on. She didn't know what Riza would have done if she had seen the other scars.

Ed left without saying anything else and Riza followed slowly. The others looked at her with questions on their faces but she shook her head with a slight frown.

* * *

Brigadier-General Roy Mustang nodded his head. "Yes Sir, I am decided."

"Good. I know I said I would use you Mustang. And I will." The Fuhrer said. "But I will only use you willingly. I know some obey because they have to, but not at this level. It has to be understood that if you have concerns then you come to me with them because if I have a problem with you, you will be the first person I will be talking to."

"Yes Sir."

"Now we need to settle the other minor details and then you can get to work properly." The Fuhrer smiled. "Firstly you will need to be promoted." He raised a hand as Roy began to shake his head. "You can not argue this one. It needs to be done. If you wish to accomplish all I want you to, then you will need the rank to back it up."

"Before we go further Sir, I have to say that I will be keeping my office as it is. I want my staff with me. And that includes Edward."

"I wouldn't have dared to suggest otherwise, Mustang. In actual fact, that will help me out of a dilemma." The Fuhrer remarked. "For the last few years your staff have consistently refused to accept their promotions with excuses ranging from 'It would not be appropriate' to 'I don't want it'. Now they will have no choice to accept, if they wish to remain with you."

"But Sir…"

"No Mustang. You don't seriously believe they would refuse under these conditions, do you? I have other officers needing promotion but I can't promote them all because your staff are in the way. I do not want to have any more First Lieutenants, I need to move some upwards and your staff are more than overdue for it."

"When you put it that way, Sir." Roy almost smiled.

"You can put it any way you like, Mustang. You're the one who will be telling them." The Fuhrer smiled at him. "The papers have been sitting here for the last two years, you can take them with you when you leave."

"Yes Sir."

"You can either keep the office you have or you can relocate. The choice is yours. You will have to consider having an extra person in your office. Sooner or later you are going to need a secretary, trust me on that one. But you can find that out for yourself. I will have a copy of the scheduled meetings delivered to your office." The Fuhrer laughed at the pained expression that crossed Roy's face. "It's too late now, Mustang."

"I know Sir, it's just…" he shrugged.

"As I said before Mustang, any excuses have to be for two or I will expect to see you there."

"Yes Sir."

"And I think we'll make you officially in charge of all the State Alchemists as well."

* * *

_Freak._

Edward sat in her dorm and stared at the wall.

_He knows._

Her eyes flickered across to the shirt laying over the back of the other chair.

_Freak_.

For not being male any more. For being changed.

_He knows_.

He had deliberately leant closer.

_Freak._

A collection of scars.

_He knows._

How long had he known?

_Freak._

She wasn't one thing or the other. So female on the outside, still male on the inside.

_He knows._

Why had he been so gentle? He had asked her to lunch.

_Freak._

Was she ever going to figure out what she was? Why was it so hard?

_He knows._

How could he be interested? She wasn't female, she wasn't male. She was a freak.

Different. Edward had been different. From the age of twelve when he had appeared in Central accompanied by his armoured brother and passed the exam, he had been different. Genius, gifted, proud, determined, stubborn, loud, impatient. Different.

At fifteen it had been accepted. People knew of him, but few _knew_ him. Still as loud and determined, not as proud but still as stubborn. Still different.

For four years he had been different in a different place. Ignorant at first, once he had found something to do he had become as determined and stubborn as he had always been. But the missing limbs had set him apart this time. His limp more pronounced, the dexterity gone from his fingers. Knowing that he really did not belong here had made him feel isolated even when surrounded by friends. Different. Still different.

And now she was back. And different again. Her outward appearance was completely feminine. She recalled that image from Gracia's mirror. There had been nothing but female there. Perhaps that made it easier for people to accept. If you looked like something, then you must be it. Right? Except that she wasn't like that, not all the way, not where it mattered most to her. Inside. Where _Edward_ was.

Freak. Not different any more. Freak. Even Al had never been called freak while in the armour. Strange, different, weird, but not freak.

He had probably only said that out of his disgruntlement with her. He probably hadn't meant it personally. They'd never met, he was a civilian. Civilian. Would other civilians see her as a freak too? The soldiers saw her as just being different, didn't they? She'd never come across any signs that she was seen as anything other than different by the people around her. Would it be outsiders, like civilians who would see her as a freak?

She didn't look wrong. She knew she looked normal. There was nothing strange about her appearance. The only possible aspect to her appearance that made her different was her arm.

She knew no-one else here with automail. She was the only one in Central Headquarters. She had seen the soldiers stare at her at the site and she had ignored it in her worry about possible damage. Walking to the office with her arm exposed had drawn a few looks but she had ignored them too. She was too used to seeing steel instead of flesh. It was part of her. She couldn't imagine having a flesh arm. She still had to pat her left leg occasionally to reassure herself that it really was flesh now.

But automail was not something people were disgusted or upset about. No-one had said anything as they had shopped for that ball gown. But she had only allowed her arm to show, never the shoulder. She knew the scars were still raw. There had been no talk about it whatsoever. So it had to be the gender change.

Freak. Not on the outside, but on the inside. Because _he _didn't know what she was. And she never seemed to get any closer to finding out. It didn't help when there were all these distractions all the time.

Roy Mustang.

Name a distraction and it had dark hair, a dark eye and a soft touch. And he knew. He knew she was attracted. And not just attracted to anyone, but attracted to him specifically. And he still wanted to go to lunch. With her or with him? With Edward?

How did Mustang see her? Did he really see _her_? He had told her once before that he saw Edward. But how did he define 'Edward'? As male or female? Was how he saw her going to determine what he did now he knew she was attracted to him? Four years ago she'd have known exactly how he would have reacted and she shuddered at the thought of the humiliation he would have inflicted upon her back then. But she couldn't predict his actions anymore. Especially lately. He had changed so much.

Interested. She had thought for a moment that he had been interested. And that had led straight back into the 'yeah right, Mustang does not like guys' thoughts she had already been over… again… several times… all night. And those thoughts were leaving her hanging and she didn't like it. Because now he knew that she was attracted and she didn't know what he was going to do. Not only that, she didn't even know what she was going to do next.

And they were going to lunch tomorrow.

She looked at his shirt again. "What are you going to do, Edward?"

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang walked towards his office with a slight frown on his face. Folders in his hand held the promotions for his staff. He hadn't expected the double jump up for himself. Four years ago, in the aftermath of everything, they had given him a full Generalship as an incentive to keep him there and he had held it, very reluctantly, for six months before giving it up and going back to being a Brigadier-General to help Alphonse. He understood the Fuhrer's reasoning. He needed the impression a higher rank would impose on those he dealt with. Especially now he had a purview greater than any he had imagined.

He was not sure how his crew were going to react. He had been rather surprised to hear that they had been refusing promotions to stay with him. He had known that they supported him. Edward had said it to him that day he had lost his temper with her and he had come to realise that himself several times since then. He would not have accepted any of this had they not been included.

He slowed as he neared the open doorway. This morning he had overheard the last parts of a conversation between them and he wished he had heard the beginning of it.

"_That's the risk you take, Vato. No-one said there were guarantees. We're talking about something that has __potential__. Things like that don't just fall into your lap. You have to take chances and put yourself out there."_ He had heard Breda say and at first he hadn't known what they were talking about.

"_Not everyone can do that though, Heymans."_ Fuery's comment had made him frown. He had kept listening still curious and wondering why he wasn't entering to get Edward's forgotten proposal.

"_You can work at it though, Kain." _Havoc's voice had been quiet.

"_I'm sorry, Jean, I shouldn't…"_

"_It's ok, Kain. We sorted it out. And the Boss and the Chief will too." _That was when Roy had frozen completely. They weren't talking about him and Edward, were they? They weren't meaning that they knew how he felt, did they? How Edward felt?

"_At least they are doing something." _Breda's comment had made his breath catch. Had he been that obvious? If they knew, who else did? He was very certain that Gracia and Riza knew, but he knew Riza would not say anything in the office. He had ignored the rest of the conversation and turned and gone to the Fuhrer's office.

Where he had had the Fuhrer himself bring up Edward and question him on her. Although he had not implied anything deeper than a working relationship, Roy couldn't help but wonder if he had merely been diplomatic in not questioning him further.

What would Edward do if she found out? He still didn't know if she had completely realised that he…_liked_ her. She had to know that he knew she was attracted to him. It was only natural that she'd take the next step and wonder if he was attracted in return. But this was Edward, he reminded himself. She never did the expected thing. Or if she did, she would find the most complicated twisted way of doing it.

Standing here wasn't going to solve anything. He looked at the files and he grinned suddenly. He could twist a few tails if he did this right he thought.

* * *

Roy Mustang entered the outer office with a set face and his staff exchanged quick glances. Silently he placed a file on each desk and then strode into his office. They heard his chair creak hard as if he had thrown himself into his chair. Everyone frowned and opened the files.

"No!"

"I don't believe this!"

"This can't be happening!"

"I won't accept it!"

"I refused last time."

Hawkeye looked at them all and then stood up with her folder in her hand. She walked into Roy's office and found he was leant back in his chair frowning and staring as he rubbed his gloved fingers together.

"Sir. Roy. We can't accept these."

"You have no choice, Hawkeye." Roy replied, keeping his eye focused on his fingers.

The others appeared in the doorway and entered to stand behind her.

"We don't want to be promoted, Roy. They'll move us out of here." Havoc said. And they knew it was bad when Havoc called him 'Roy'.

"The Fuhrer has decided." Roy replied in an even tone. They exchanged looks. Mustang was being very calm for someone who had just had his staff mass-promoted. "I have managed to ensure that you remain together." He added without looking at them and they stiffened.

"Roy. What have you done?" Riza asked in a hushed tone. No wonder he was calm. They knew him, he could have, would have sacrificed his career for theirs.

"I have accepted another position." Was all he said.

"Then we'll go with you, Sir." Fuery said.

"Yes." Falman spoke up. "We followed you last time, we'll follow you again, Sir."

"What about the Lieutenant-General who will be here?"

"He can find his own staff, Sir." Breda stated firmly. "We are your staff."

"What position have you accepted, Roy?" Riza asked as she studied him.

"State Alchemy."

"There hasn't been an official department for State Alchemy in four years, since they started posting them out." Breda frowned.

"Apparently I am going to need a secretary." Roy muttered and managed to sound disgusted at the idea, which he was. He could feel Riza watching him. She was the one most likely to see through him which was why he was avoiding looking at her. All he had to do was to hold on for just a few more minutes and their postings should be arriving. The Fuhrer had said he would send them straight away and Roy knew the man would do just that. He remembered how fast the paperwork had appeared after Edward's lunch that day. Thinking of Edward.

"Where's Edward?" He asked.

"She should be back at the Research site by now."

"Is she getting promoted too?"

"No. But the changes will affect her." Roy said absently. Did she intend to stay there all day? Did he have a reasonable excuse to go to the site to see her? Or should he keep it until lunch tomorrow?

"Roy, why are we being promoted like this?" Riza asked.

"The Fuhrer informed me that you, all of you, have been refusing to accept any promotions over the last few years. Now however, your staying where you are has been blocking others from moving upwards and I have had it pointed out to me that the Fuhrer does not appreciate this." Roy kept his voice even as he glanced at them and saw their frowns.

"I hadn't realised that." Falman said slowly. As a Senior Warrant Officer, unless he accepted a commission, Falman was at the highest rank he could achieve. All that had changed for him was his rating which had gone from Fourth to Fifth. Fuery too, was in a similar situation, but the others were more affected.

It was a hard moment for them. They were soldiers. Obedience was second nature to them, as was loyalty. But for this office, their first loyalty was to the dark haired man in front of them and the military second.

A discreet knock at the door had them turn their heads and a messenger stood there with a small pile of envelopes they all recognized. Posting papers. Fuery took them and the messenger left. He handed them out and there was a brief moment of silence before they began opening them.

Roy leant back and waited. He wasn't disappointed. Hawkeye actually shot his shoulder boards off.

* * *

Edward tried to keep her mind on what she was doing as she watched the Research secretaries removing the files from the damaged offices. Now that she couldn't lose herself in mind-numbing physical labour, she found her mind settling in to gossip about its favourite distraction.

Several of the soldiers had asked if she was okay when she had returned and she had nodded. It had seemed like genuine concern on their part and Sergeant Terlat had even told her to be more careful next time. She had smiled ruefully. With Winry coming, she had no choice but to be careful.

She had a clean uniform on and had retrieved her jacket which was now hanging with several others on the rack in one of the offices. She had replaced her gloves but her boots were still dusty. She kept her sleeves down and had wrapped a better bandage over the hole in her arm. She had been very glad that there had been no damage to the inner workings and that the insulation was untouched as well. She had been slightly worried when she had taken her shower. The thought of water on bare wires and having to detach her arm for every shower had not been one she had wanted to entertain. And Winry would have really reacted badly to that. Not to mention what Al would've said.

There was a distracting thought not accompanied by a dark haired man. She'd have to ask Gracia if Al and Winry could stay at her place while they were here. She knew Gracia was living at the hospital at the moment but she didn't think she'd mind. There really wasn't anywhere else for them to stay. She'd go and visit tonight, she nodded to herself.

She wondered how Mustang had gone with his debriefing and how her proposal had been received. It was mid-afternoon, surely lunch had finished by now. She knew how long the Fuhrer's lunches could go for, but Mustang had left hours ago. He should have been here by now, telling her what had happened. He knew she would be anxious as to how it had turned out. Why wasn't he here yet? Edward stopped.

Why did it matter if he wasn't here yet? There was plenty to discuss with the Fuhrer and he probably had to return to the office and then there were all his other duties. Why was she expecting him to ignore all of that and come here? Just because he knew she was waiting for an answer, didn't mean he had to see her before he did all the other things. That would be …selfish of her to expect that. She wasn't that important. So why was she wishing that she was? Why wasn't he here yet?

* * *

Elysia was awake when Edward visited that evening and she smiled at the little girl and sat beside her for an hour telling her stories. Gracia took the opportunity to have a quick break and came back to find Roy had appeared and was teasing Edward about her hair much to Elysia's delight.

There was colour in the thin cheeks and her eyes were bright and all the adults were glad to see it.

"I blame your mother, I do." Edward grinned as Gracia entered and her little girl gave her such a wide smile Gracia had to blink hard. "All those pins were hers."

"But you were the one who got your fingers caught." Roy said lightly and Edward glowered at him.

"Well, you were complaining about every single pin." She retorted.

Elysia laughed and reached out to hold Ed's hair. Ed pulled her hair across and leant back to let the thin fingers play with the long tail.

"Gracia, I was going to ask a favour, if I could."

"Of course, Edward."

"Al and Winry are coming up and I was wondering if you could let them stay at your place?" Ed asked. "If not, I can organize somewhere else."

"Of course they can, Edward. I'd like to have them there. I know I'm rarely there at the moment, but it would be good if the house was being used." Gracia smiled.

"Thank you. I'll give them a call tonight and let them know. It won't be for three days yet, they're taking the first train tomorrow."

"That's alright. Let me know the day before and I'll organize a key and things. It will be good to see them again." She added.

"Yeah." Ed groaned slightly.

"That doesn't sound very enthusiastic Edward." Roy remarked.

"It's not." She sighed. "Much as I love my brother and Winry, the thought of the impending lecture and physical abuse does not inspire anything approaching enthusiasm, Mustang."

"What have you done, Ed?" Gracia asked.

"I damaged my arm." Ed said as she dropped her head onto the bed. "Winry is going to kill me."

Gracia laughed. "It can't be that bad, Ed."

"That's what I said, Gracia." Ed said as she turned her face towards her. "But those two are going to lecture me anyway and Winry is going to make sure I know exactly how reckless and careless I am with her automail."

"Does this have anything to do with the scrape on your cheek, Edward?" Roy asked. He had noticed it but had said nothing. He could see it was a minor mark and that Edward was completely unaware of it so it was not causing any pain.

"Yes. I didn't even know I'd gotten it until Riza mentioned it, while I was talking to Al of course." Ed groaned again. "I don't think he was impressed. But it's barely there. It's no big thing."

"What did you do to your arm, Ed?" Gracia asked.

"Just a bit of steel got caught in it." Ed said casually and Roy's eye narrowed. He knew that tone. That was the tone he had heard for four years when Edward had been avoiding giving a full list of all damages incurred. Gracia was familiar with that tone too. You couldn't have a child and not recognize avoidance when you heard it

"Exactly what happened, Edward?" Gracia asked firmly and Ed sighed as she met the determined eyes.

"One of the props gave way and a beam fell down. A bit of steel got my arm." Ed was honest, just not completely honest. She didn't think Gracia needed to know that the beam had been supporting the ceiling as well as the floor above and that she had been underneath it all as it had come down. Ed didn't see Roy frown. There was more she wasn't saying and he knew it. But he wasn't going to ask, as he saw Gracia accept Ed's story.

"Nothing serious then?" Gracia nodded.

"That's what I said. I don't know why people don't believe me when I say that." Ed grumbled.

"That's because it's rarely true, Edward." Roy smiled as Gracia laughed.

"Have I told you that I hate you?" Ed asked him.

"Not today." Roy grinned at her.

"And by the way Mustang, what did the Fuhrer say about my proposal for Research?"

"I thought we could discuss that during lunch tomorrow, Edward."

"Why not now?"

"Because I'd really like not to talk about anything work related at the moment." He said and she laughed slightly. But she could see the tiredness on his face so she contented herself with a single comment.

"Lazy, Mustang."

* * *

Edward stared at her bedroom ceiling. Lunch with Mustang today. She turned her head and debated whether to reach for her watch and find out exactly how early she had woken up. She sighed, she didn't really want to know. It was still dark so it was very early.

What was she going to do? Lunch with Mustang. She was okay when there were other people around like last night at the hospital, but this was going to be just the two of them. They'd discuss the Research department, that was a nice safe topic and probably the office. Dammit, she'd had dinner with him, just the two of them. They had had no trouble talking then. Why was she worrying about this simple lunch? It was just lunch. A working lunch. Nothing special.

So why she was awake well before dawn?

Because she was attracted to him and he knew it. Gracia had said that you could be attracted to people you didn't like, but Edward knew she liked him. She had admitted that the night of Elysia's collapse. He was a friend, she was someone she trusted and knew. The attraction kept on trying to push other things at her. Like how soft his hair was, how gentle his touch was and didn't she _like_ those things about him. It was as if she had two different 'likes' and both were called Roy Mustang.

What kept her from turning over and going back to sleep was the thought of what he was going to do next. This was the Roy Mustang she didn't know so well, if at all. He was the one that she feared slightly because he made her feel things like attraction and nervousness and had her tossing at whatever the fucking time was!

"Damn you Roy Mustang." She complained. "I want to get some sleep and you won't get out of my head!"

She tossed the covers back and stalked from her bedroom to the other room. The first thing she saw was his shirt on the chair. She sighed and picked it up. She sat down on the couch and held it. It could have been anyone's shirt. It didn't smell like him. He probably had never even worn it. It had come from his office. Ed slipped sideways and curled up on the couch, her eyes growing heavy.

"You are such an idiot, Edward Elric," she muttered to herself as she fell asleep, the shirt held in her loose fingers.

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang didn't feel any different as he walked to his usual office in his usual manner. If ever there was a sign that rank mattered little he thought it was now. When you knew it felt no different from when he had been a Colonel. That, and the fact that the dour Sergeant at the gate had actually rung up to confirm who he was and that he was indeed now a Lieutenant-General.

He smiled as he entered his office. It now contained two Majors and a Captain as well as two happy NCO's. He settled at his desk and found the first difference. A schedule for the next week of meetings he was supposed to attend. The second difference was a file with a list of all the other members of the Fuhrer's Command Staff of whom he was now one. Complete with contact details and the divisions they were assigned to. He noticed they had put Alchemy next to his. He blinked when he saw the words underneath.

"Special Duties." He read aloud and frowned. That could mean anything and recalling what the Fuhrer was planning to use him for, realised that it did.

Major Hawkeye entered with several folders.

"These are lists of suitable personnel to fill the Research department positions." She said as she offloaded them onto his desk.

"Thank you." He muttered and then he smiled. "Condense them and give me an overview to show Edward at lunch and then I'll get her to go through them properly later."

"I won't have time to do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I have all your normal paperwork to do."

"Who else can?"

"No-one, and you have another pile of folders out there relating to Intel and Investigations to go through." She smiled at his groan. "You really are going to have to get a secretary. And a bigger office."

"The Fuhrer said we could relocate." He sighed and looked at her. "Am I really going to need a secretary?"

"Yes, Sir, you are."

"Then you find one. Someone we can all work with." He frowned. "And get Fuery to scout out a bigger office. He knows the building inside out, he'd be best."

She nodded. She would find someone who would fit in. It might take a while and it wasn't going to be easy. They didn't like the thought of having outsiders in here.

"By the way, Riza. Tell me, what happened to Edward's arm yesterday."

"The ceiling gave way and collapsed and Edward was caught under it, I believe." Riza said non-committally. His face darkened.

"That is not what she said last night." He remarked and he felt his stomach twist.

"I know Sir. It's not what she said when she came in here to ring Miss Rockbell after it had occurred looking rather worse for wear. According to a Sergeant Terlat, Ed went to stop a prop from collapsing and as she did so, everything fell down around her. She was shouting at everyone to get out as she went in. He knows she's an alchemist. He thinks that if the ceiling had fallen a few seconds later she would have been able to stop it happening." Riza smiled. "He was very insistent that I understand that. I think he thought that I was there to investigate Edward. They were all quick to come to her defense."

Roy frowned. He had known she was hiding something last night. He hadn't realised how much. She could have been seriously injured and that thought kept his stomach twisting. It was typical of Edward to think of others first before she thought of herself. And even more typical of her to play down any possible danger she may have been in.

"Roy." Riza said and he looked at her. She sounded slightly hesitant.

"What is it, Riza?"

She looked over her shoulder at the doorway and then moistened her lips. Roy's eyebrow rose as she went over and closed the door before coming back.

"Riza?"

She took a deep breath. "Sergeant Terlat told me something, once he knew I wasn't a threat to Edward and that I worked with her." She took another breath and she eyed him carefully. "The contractor showed up before all this happened and he and Edward exchanged words before Ed had him escorted away. He tried to threaten her, Terlat said but Edward took no notice of it. As he was leaving, the contractor said some things about Edward. Terlat doesn't think she heard what he said, but he wanted me to tell Edward's superior about it. And that if he or his men heard anyone say that again then he was not responsible for their actions."

"What did the contractor say?"

"He called her a freak. He said that the Fullmetal Alchemist was obviously an abomination now and should not be allowed to stay in the military at all."

Roy saw red. Flames erupted as he snapped without thought. Heat filled his office. It took him a few moments to realise that Riza was shouting his name and the door was bursting open and that someone else was shouting at him.

"Roy! You fucking idiot!" He stared through the smoke and a pair of golden eyes were angrily staring back. The sound of hands clapping resounded in his ears and the smoke began clearing as the flames disappeared.

"What the hell were you playing at, Mustang?" Edward shouted at him as she came around his desk. He blinked and saw the others crowding into his office. Havoc was holding Riza as she coughed and Breda had opened one of the windows. Roy put his hands down on his desk. He was shaking and he had to concentrate on his breathing.

"What the hell happened?" Edward demanded as she looked from one to the other.

"I…over-reacted to …" Roy began between deep breaths.

"… something unpleasant." Riza said before she coughed again.

"How unpleasant?" She asked. She saw the quick look that passed between them and frowned. "What could be so unpleasant that would make you snap like that, Mustang?"

Roy shook his head. "Leave it, Edward."

"No, I won't leave it. You nearly hurt Riza. You killed the couch. You don't over-react without a very good reason, Mustang."

Roy looked to where his couch had been. It was a charred heap now. Edward had managed to smother it with a rug and had drawn the air out alchemically. There were smudge marks on her gloves and she was looking at him expectantly. There was no way he was going to tell Edward what Riza had been told.

"No, Edward. The matter is closed." He said firmly and saw Riza nod in agreement. The others looked from one to the other.

Edward kept frowning. Whatever had set Mustang off had not been a minor matter. She had seen him angry a few times now and apart from that first day, she had not seen him resort to alchemy. And she had goaded him into that one. The incident at the exam didn't count because that had just been fun. This time it seemed to have been a case of spontaneous combustion on his part. Both were looking determined as everyone began leaving the office. They were going to keep whatever it was strictly between them.

Normally it wouldn't have mattered but Edward was finding that what affected Mustang, affected her. If something had happened, then she wanted to know what it was. To break in and find him that furious had been startling to say the least. She had shouted at him but she didn't think he had heard her. She couldn't even remember what she had said. She had put the fire out before she had seen him come back to himself. Maybe she could ask over lunch, when the others weren't around. He might be more liable to talk about it then. She saw Riza walk over to Roy as she went to close the window thinking of ways to get him to talk.

"…want his name, Riza." Ed's ears pricked up as she caught his low words. There was a nasty edge to his voice and her head tilted slightly as she pulled the window closed. She saw Riza nod her head and she frowned. Someone had obviously pissed Mustang off. And on a grand scale.

She became more determined to find out what had happened.

* * *

"Do you think Edward heard any of those comments?" Roy asked thoughtfully after Edward had left the room.

"I don't think so, but it's hard to tell. She keeps so much to herself." Riza replied.

"I might ask at lunch." He said.

"You can't ask her that!" Riza exclaimed.

"I won't ask directly, but if I can get her to talk about contractors then I might get an opening there." Roy frowned. "Edward shouldn't be subjected to that sort of ill-will."

"Between her little team at the Research site and all of us, we will put a stop to it, Roy."

He smiled at her.

"Thank you, Major Hawkeye."

"You're welcome, Lieutenant-General Mustang Sir." Hawkeye walked towards the door and then stopped.

"Did you notice? Edward called you 'Roy'." She grinned at his expression and left the room.

* * *

"Maybe we could get a new office now." Fuery remarked as they all settled back into the outer office. The others laughed.

"We're going to need one if the Chief does that again." Havoc said.

"I'm not fixing this building too." Edward added. "If Mustang does that again, he can fix it himself."

"But you're doing so well with the Research department, Edward." Breda said.

"Always room for an extra volunteer, Breda." Ed retorted quickly.

She grinned at him as he shook his head at her. After her broken night she had overslept and woken up on the couch and had to rush to get ready. Mustang had mentioned the promotions for everyone last night at the hospital so she had called here to congratulate everyone before going to Research. She had not expected to walk in and smell burning. It certainly was a different way to start the day.

"Well, I'm off to the site." Edward stretched as she stood up.

"How much longer, Ed?" Havoc asked.

"Another couple of days should see it all cleared and a builder has been organized to draw up some plans." She replied. "We have temporary offices for the moment and it's just a case of getting them set up now."

"We're going to find a larger office as well." Hawkeye said as she entered the outer office. "Kain, you know the building best."

Fuery nodded. "I'll find somewhere."

"And a secretary as well." Hawkeye added and they all went quiet. She looked at them all. "Don't worry, I will be doing the choosing." And they all sighed in relief.

Ed laughed. "Good luck with that, Riza." She stepped towards the door.

"Don't forget lunch today, Edward." Mustang suddenly said from the door to his office.

"As if I could." Edward sighed and then grinned at him. "You know where to find me, Mustang. Don't be late."

"I won't, Edward. I'm more concerned that you will be presentable enough to actually take to lunch."

She scowled at him.

"Have I told you I hate you?"

"Not today, Edward." He grinned at her as she left with a mumbled curse.

He laughed slightly and then caught sight of Falman staring at him. Everyone else was smiling.

"What is it, Falman?"

"What Edward said. It didn't bother you, Sir?" He asked in a puzzled tone.

"No. I'd be more concerned if she didn't say it." He smiled and went back into his office.

"I don't understand." Falman said.

The others looked at each other and grinned.

"Vato, perhaps you've been reading too many books lately." Breda said. "You need to learn to read people too."

* * *

Sergeant Terlat watched the Lieutenant-Colonel patiently go through a simple filing system with one of the new secretaries. The girl looked scared and nervous and he wondered how the blonde was managing to stay calm as she went over it for a third time. He was aware of his respect for the Lieutenant-Colonel increasing. She worked as hard as every one else and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She stood up for what she believed in and she had shown genuine interest in those around her. She knew all the privates by name now. She never pulled rank, if anything she completely ignored it. She was never afraid to admit to not knowing something and didn't hesitate to ask if she wanted to know.

He had been worried at first but now he knew there was no-one he could trust as much as he did her. And his team felt the same way. When they had realised who she was, they had immediately been filled with a whole swag of ideals and impressions of how she would be. And very few of them had been real. She was not arrogant, she rarely spoke of her past, they hadn't seen the reputed temper and only once had they seen her do alchemy. She had teased the Ice General without fear and that alone had confirmed several rumours for him. One of the privates had not recognized the banter between the two and had misunderstood completely, even going so far to insist that the two actually did hate each other. Terlat had spent an hour before he had convinced him otherwise. Knowing that the Fullmetal Alchemist had served under Colonel Mustang for four years and that Major Alphonse Elric had also served had helped.

He smiled as the Lieutenant-Colonel finally stood up and watched the secretary leave with some of the files that were being moved to the temporary offices.

He had been more than willing to tell Captain Hawkeye about the contractor as soon as he had realised that she was concerned for the Lieutenant-Colonel just as much as he was. He wasn't about to let some civilian low-life make detrimental and offensive comments about their Lieutenant-Colonel.

"Hey Boss!" The shout made both Terlat and Edward turn. A blond Major was walking towards them.

"Hey Havoc!" Edward grinned. "What brings you over here?"

"The Chief sent me. You're running late."

"Oh shit." Edward pulled out her watch and looked at the time. "Damn, so I am. Why did he send you?"

"They gave him some paperwork." Havoc grinned as Edward laughed.

"Serves him right for getting promoted." She said with a smirk. "Okay. Terlat I'll be at lunch somewhere, but if you need me Havoc can get me, can't you?" She turned to Havoc as Sergeant Terlat saluted him.

"Sure Boss, Riza has all the details."

"Good. I'm gone." She said and she began to run towards the other building. Havoc turned to the Sergeant.

"Major Hawkeye mentioned you, Sergeant Terlat. We need to have a little talk."

"Sir?" Terlat asked.

"About a certain contractor. I believe he wasn't too impressed with the Boss and we would like to ensure he has no further complaints about her."

"What would you like to know, Major?" Terlat smiled happily

* * *

"You're late Edward." Roy said as she appeared in the office.

"So Jean said." Edward replied, breezily casual. "So are you ready or what?"

"Yes." He picked up a couple of files and tucked them under his arm.

She avoided meeting his eye as they left the office. She could feel it starting, the little twitches in her stomach and the way her shoulders were starting to feel tense. This was just lunch. They were going to talk about what was in those files and it would be comfortable and casual just like it always was. Just lunch. There was nothing to be worried about. Nothing to be nervous about. He knew she was attracted but she didn't think he would indulge in public humiliation, so it would just be lunch. She could do lunch. Couldn't she?

"Where are we going, Mustang?" She asked as they approached the car.

"Bella's." He said absently as he tried not to let her know how nervous he felt. This was just lunch. There was nothing special about it. They would eat and talk and he would try to make her see that she didn't have to run or go into denial just because he knew she was attracted to him. And he would try to make her see that it wasn't a bad thing, that he was attracted to her. That shouldn't be too hard, should it?

Edward slipped into the back seat as the driver held the door open.

"What's it like?"

"I don't know, Edward."

"Why not? Did you just pick it out of the phone book?" Edward asked, slightly facetiously.

"Yes." The Lieutenant-General said stiffly.

Edward started laughing.

* * *

Author's Note: Here it is at last. Longer than last time as promised. Enjoy.

And thank you again to everyone for the comments and reviews, I really can not describe how much I appreciate each and every one of them. Muchas gracias.

silken :)


	23. “Why don’t you call me Roy?”

**Returning Echoes  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 23: "Why don't you call me Roy?"  
**

Roy Mustang sat in the back of the car and knew that he had been in _like_ for far longer than he had thought. Edward was still laughing and he knew his face was slightly heated. He could feel it. When he had seized the opportunity to invite Edward to lunch, he had rung the first one he could find in the phone book and booked it. Years ago, he would have had a mental list of restaurants cross-checked and referenced by partner, occasion and desired result.

He had discovered on the night they had gone to dinner that his old lists were useless now. And he hadn't considered this lunch to be a date, it had been an opportunity he had grabbed. What if the place was terrible? Edward would never accept another invitation from him again. He should have checked. He hadn't had any time. The Parade and the Ball had been the next day and then he had gone on that inspection trip and he hadn't thought about _where_ they were going to eat. He'd only thought that they were going to eat and that now he could find a perfect time to ask her for a date.

He must have been out of his mind not to have checked. No, not out his mind, but caught in the distraction of _like_. He must've already been suffering from it back then. How else to explain the large gaps in his normal thought processes? He could have sent someone else to check. Havoc or Hawkeye, they would've helped. Except that not only would that have drawn attention to his now apparent lack of social skills, it would also have given this lunch more importance than it had.

_Like _had been masquerading as attraction. It had to have been. There was no other way to explain his complete regression into an absolute social idiot.

If anything could have eased some of Edward's nervousness, it was being able to laugh at Mustang's expense. It reminded her so much of that night they had gone to dinner and his inability to pick a restaurant. She relaxed back in the seat, smiling. She caught the eye of the driver in the mirror and they shared a grin. She could see he was thinking of that night too.

She was right, this was just lunch and there was nothing for her to be worried about. She could handle this. It should be easy after all. As long as she could keep her mind from running off to Roy Mustang appreciation-land she would be fine. And there was going to plenty to discuss, he had those files with him and they could talk about Al's impending visit and Elysia's continued recovery. There was no reason why they couldn't have a civil conversation. They had done it before.

Edward frowned slightly. But there was something different about this lunch compared to that dinner, or even the time they had had breakfast in the mess. The attraction alone made it different, but she could almost convince herself otherwise on that one. No, there was something else and it was because she knew that he knew. She didn't think he'd mention it, but she'd been wrong before and it was that unease that kept poking at her thoughts every now and again.

She scrunched her nose up. If he hadn't said anything in the office, then she doubted he'd say anything here. The office was safe. The office was where they could say things like that. The office was the place where they didn't have to worry about strangers and others interfering or getting in the way. The office was where they all knew each other.

Perhaps the uneasiness hung around because they weren't in the office anymore.

"Edward?"

Edward blinked and looked around. Mustang was looking at her, slightly amused.

"We're here." He said as he left the car.

She slid along the seat and out of the car to stand beside him. A small covered portico was over the entrance and as they approached the doors together, their driver went before them to open the doors. Edward blinked and the driver grinned at her.

"Enjoy your lunch, Sirs." He said with a salute and Ed grinned back at him.

"Thank you, Sergeant." She said and Mustang nodded at him as they entered. The foyer was small and a leggy brunette looked up from the front desk. The sight of the military uniforms did not faze her but the sight of a silver watch chain at the hip of the blonde had her eyes widening. She had never heard of a female State Alchemist.

"Table for two, in the name of Mustang." The Lieutenant-General said easily while Edward looked around at a myriad of potted plants against a frescoed wall. Her eyebrow rose at the image on the wall. It was almost exactly the same as the one on the white doors to the interview room. She nudged Mustang and he looked at her and then followed her pointing finger.

"That looks familiar." Edward said and Roy's eyebrow rose as he studied it.

"Very." They turned to the brunette who was waiting patiently, a couple of menus in her hand.

"It's been there a long time. My father says it was here before he bought this restaurant." She said and stepped back to lead them past the desk and into the main dining area. Edward knew what to do this time and followed without needing to be prompted.

The dining area was split level and she led them to a table on the higher tier where there was an expansive view of the restaurant through to the large windows that overlooked the street. Edward noticed that there wasn't as much cutlery on the tables and the cloths were decorated with embroidered borders rather than the pristine white ones at Dominic's. There were no candles, just a simple spray of flowers on each table. Edward looked around and catalogued the differences. It was brighter. It was louder. Dinner had been muted, this was more vibrant. Attire differed. There were even some other soldiers here as she caught sight of military blue. It was a more casual atmosphere and she felt more relaxed than she had at the beginning of that dinner.

Roy watched her looking around as he placed the files on the table beside him. He was pleased to see that she was showing little sign of being nervous. It was not his intention to make her feel uncomfortable or uneasy. A nervous Edward could be interesting he thought, but not in an area where the potential for structural damage was high. He looked around and found nothing to complain about. It looked satisfactory. People were looking at them, he noticed. And again, most were looking at Edward although he saw a few looking at him. He tried to catalogue the looks and glances he was catching and saw mainly interest and curiousity in the eyes aimed at Edward. The silver chain was drawing more than a few raised eyebrows.

The comments Riza had passed on came back to him and he wondered if they would react the same way if they knew about Edward as well.

"You okay, Mustang?" Edward asked as she saw him frown

"I'm fine, Edward." He replied and picked up the menu the brunette had placed in front of him.

Edward looked a bit skeptical but shrugged and picked up her menu and began trying to decide what she wanted to eat. That was the problem with eating out, she thought. There were all these choices. Last time she had picked the first thing she had seen on the menu, this time she read down the list and was rather amazed at the choices.

"What are you having, Edward?" Mustang asked as he watched her read everything.

"This fish thing I think." She said as she pointed down the menu and he decided not to tell her that mornay sauce had milk in it. He chose the steak and they put the menus to one side. Roy tossed Edward one of the files.

"What's this?"

"That contains the lists of all personnel who can be considered for positions in the Research department."

"Why are you giving it to me?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Surely whoever's in charge of that department should be doing that?"

"They are." He said and she blinked at him, then her eyes widened.

"No." She shook her head. "No. You can't be serious? There is no way I… no, even I know that I am not suited for that sort of position."

"I know, Edward." He smiled. "It's just a temporary appointment until you decide who should be running it."

"Me? You want me to pick someone?" Edward gaped at him. "Are you feeling okay, Mustang? Did you inhale too much smoke earlier?"

Roy leant back in his chair and his smile widened. "I'm perfectly well … and sane, Edward. Taking care of the Research Department was your idea, Edward. Surely you didn't think your involvement ended with the proposal?"

"Well, no… but whoever runs the department should be the one to do that."

"And that is you for the moment. That file has a list of all suitable candidates. Cull them down and let me know which ones would be best suited and we can short-list them. Also there are the other positions to be looked at. I believe there are a few lists in there of people able to fill those places." He looked at her. "You know what is needed to make it a proper and efficient place, Edward. All you have to do is choose the people who will make it what you think it should be."

"Seriously, Mustang. Why me?" Edward swallowed and looked at the file before she looked up to meet his eye. "I don't know how an office is supposed to work, I'm not the most responsible person…" and her eyes dared him to comment on that remark, "so why me? Why not you?"

"Because I will be doing the same thing to the Intel and Investigations division." Edward stared at him. "If there is a problem with one department, then there could be problems in other areas. And we're both aware of how long it took Intel to do anything regarding that Lab and how casually it was conducted. The Fuhrer has authorized me to overhaul both departments but I can't do both, which is why you will do Research."

"What the hell did you do, Mustang?" Edward asked with disbelief. "All this extra work and you look almost happy. Are you sure you're sane?"

"I've already told you I am, Edward." He smiled.

Edward stared at him. It was strange to see such a relaxed Roy Mustang, even stranger considering they were discussing extra duties and work. Why had there been no smirks with any of his comments? He had been _smiling_. He was still smiling. It was unnatural. It was unnerving. It was something you could get used to Edward, said the little voice in her head. Like hell I will, she replied but the conviction wasn't there. The more she was around him, the easier it was becoming to accept him being there. It was weird. Being near him had never been easy like this before. It was something she had tolerated when she had been growing up. A necessary thing to do if she wanted his information. But now, despite the nerves, it was vaguely reassuring to be near him. She frowned. Attraction was mutating again and she wasn't sure if she liked where it was going.

"Edward?" Mustang's voice had her blinking out of her dazed state. This tendency to drift off mentally was annoying too, she thought. It didn't help knowing that he was the cause of it all and that he was staring at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile. He looked so _knowing_. It was almost insulting.

"Did you still want to order the fish?" He asked and Edward realised the waitress was standing there waiting to take their order.

"Yes, the fish please." Edward said and saw the young woman write it down. She missed the strange look that crossed the waitress's face at hearing her name but Roy didn't. Roy ordered the steak with a smile. Edward was getting distracted and he just knew he was the cause of it.

He was rather impressed that she hadn't let herself become as distracted as he had lately. Only twice so far. Maybe she hadn't progressed to the land of _like_ yet, he thought. But she knew, she had to know that he was aware of her attraction to him. She had to have considered the possibility of his being attracted back. But it wasn't something he could just come out and ask her about. Not only would she be completely embarrassed, she'd probably never speak to him again. That's if she didn't hit him. Damn, now he was the one spacing out.

"Does the Fuhrer know about me doing all this for Research?" Edward asked.

"No, I haven't told him, but I have a fairly wide scope for this." Roy said calmly.

Edward shook her head. "I can't believe you agreed to any of this. You and work. It's like me and…milk." Ed said with a disgusted look on her face. Roy laughed as her face screwed up slightly.

"I don't think I react as …violently as you do, Edward." He replied. "And I really couldn't refuse the Fuhrer."

"He would have given you a choice, Mustang." Ed's eyes narrowed. She remembered her lunch with the Fuhrer. He had given her a chance to choose. He had made it nearly impossible to refuse, but the choice had been there.

A wry expression crossed Mustang's face and she smiled in recognition even as he spoke. "He did but I didn't feel I could refuse."

"He is one crafty man." Edward said. "To have cornered you." She grinned at him. "I wish I had seen that."

"Have I told you I hate you?" He retorted and she laughed.

"Not today." She replied and he shook his head at her, even as he began to laugh as well.

* * *

Major Havoc returned to the office with more than enough information from Sergeant Terlat and Major Hawkeye pushed aside her paperwork and called the rest to order. And they began to make plans.

Fuery was sent to the switchboards, Falman was sent to the Records department and Breda went to the Base hospital. Hawkeye and Havoc looked at each other.

"Will it work, Riza?"

"Yes. Shooting him would be more satisfactory but this way we can get rid of him completely."

"The Boss will kill us if she finds out."

"I'm not sure how Roy will take this either." She replied thoughtfully. "I think he has visions of barbecue or something similar to what they did at the exam."

"That would be more satisfying than this." Havoc groaned. "We must be getting old, babe, if we're doing things legally now."

"I thought you liked doing things by the book." Riza asked, smiling.

"I did, until you corrupted me."

* * *

It was an awkward silence that fell when the laughter stopped and Edward's fingers flicked at the corner of the folder restlessly. She didn't know what to do next. She hadn't expected him to be this relaxed and she was confused and unsure now. What did you do when there was nothing to do? She had thought it would be easy to talk and to keep on talking. Except that it wasn't.

She didn't know where to look either. Did she look at him or stare around the room? Either one seemed to be a bad choice. She didn't trust the attraction if she started staring at him, but if she looked around, he might think she was bored being here with him. She could look inside the folder. After all, he had brought it with him. It would be expected of her to read it, except that would be ignoring him. Why did it suddenly matter if she ignored him or not? Trying to ignore him had been something she had tried to do for four whole years. And now that she could, she didn't want to.

Roy watched Edward's fingers flicking at the folder. She was frowning slightly at whatever she was thinking about. He half expected her to open that file and he was curious as to why she hadn't. Her eyes were flickering around. He wasn't quite sure how everything had suddenly come to a stop. Where had the comfortableness gone to? He hadn't expected to feel awkward here. He was never awkward. But then he'd never been here before, in this 'I like Edward' place. How did you get out of it? Did he want to get out of it?

That was a stupid question he thought. Of course he didn't, but he did want to get back to being relaxed. To having Edward relaxed. He needed to find something they could talk about, something they had in common. There was alchemy. Ed could speak for hours on that subject. Did he want to spend his whole lunch talking alchemy? No, that wasn't really conducive for leading into a 'will you go out with me Friday night' type of question.

There was the subject of the contractor and the Research department. They'd already touched on the subject, it wouldn't be too hard to return to it. Except that thinking of that contractor made him want to snap again and being in a bad temper was not what he wanted either. What exactly did he want to achieve he asked himself again. He wanted to let her know that he was attracted to her. That's what he'd thought when they'd left Headquarters. Since when had it become a 'let's ask Edward out' occasion?

He sighed and frowned. This was harder than he had ever known it to be. If he wasn't sitting here he'd have said this was a bad joke. Roy Mustang had always known what to do next. Part of his mind had already planned the scene out for him. Long looks of intent, accidental hand touches, soft tones in the voice, the impression of being completely focused on her. And then the _"You are free this Friday evening, aren't you?"_, or maybe _"Shall we do this again on Friday evening?"_ It worked. It had worked. It had always worked. It wasn't going to work this time. Not on Edward.

Edward would laugh at him, she'd question his sanity, she'd be shocked, insulted or just not believe him. She would not say 'yes'.

Edward looked up at the sigh and noticed the frown. Why was he looking so frustrated, she wondered. He wasn't the one trying to keep a bad case of attraction under control. He always knew what to do. It had been one thing she had always believed. Mustang would never not know what to do. He wouldn't be sitting here wondering what to say or do. He wouldn't be fighting nerves.

She needed to find something to get them talking again, but what? Alchemy? Wasn't there anything else she could think of? Why was alchemy the first thing she always thought of? She frowned. But there had been that question she had wanted to ask him ages ago. She could ask him about it now. It might not be the best place to start, but it had to be better than staying here in this silence.

"Hey Mustang." She watched him blink.

"Yes?"

"You know the array in the interview room?" He nodded. "Can you draw it?"

"Why do you want me to draw it?" Roy looked puzzled.

"Because I asked you to. It's an experiment." She grinned at his frown. "Can you draw it?" She repeated.

"Do you have a pen?" He asked.

"No. Why would I have a pen?" Edward looked at him. "Don't you have one?"

"No, Edward."

"Why not? You brought these files with you."

"They are for reading through, not for writing all over."

"Well, you're rather useless, Mustang." Edward said with a frown as she tried to think of another way.

"Maybe you do need to get a bag of your own, Edward." Roy remarked and smiled as she glared at him.

"No. I can get a pen without resorting to that." Edward said firmly. She looked around and then caught the eye of the waitress. "Excuse me, do you have a pen we could borrow?" Edward asked as she came over.

"Certainly, Ma'am." The waitress replied and left briefly to return with a pen. "And your meals will be here in a minute." She added as she gave the pen to Edward. Roy was rather impressed that Edward did not react to being called 'Ma'am'.

"Thank you." They both said at the same time. Then Edward handed the pen to Mustang and pulled out one of the papers from the file.

"Draw." She ordered.

"Yes Ma'am." He said with a smirk and she glared again. He chuckled as he began to draw. His chuckle stopped and he began to frown as he paused after a few moments. He looked up at Edward who was looking at the paper. She looked up and met his eye.

"You don't remember it, do you?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"I see it all the time." He replied, but there was a hint of confusion in his voice. He looked at the drawing and began to draw another line but he hesitated halfway. "I see it every year." He muttered to himself.

"Can you remember your interview, Mustang? Can you recall every word you said?" She asked in that same quiet, almost casual voice. And he thought back. How long ago had that been? When he had entered that dark room and balanced on that impossible Chair, telling them he wanted to use his alchemy for the good of the country. He frowned. Had he really been that naïve back then? God, he had been a complete idiot.

"No, I can't remember it all."

"I thought so." Edward said triumphantly and he looked at her.

"Explain, Edward." He told her as their meal arrived. They waited until the waitress left before continuing.

"I've sat there twice and I can't remember everything I said either." She paused. "Do you remember what I said?"

He thought back. "Yes, I can remember the interviews."

"So it works differently depending on where you are in the room. But no matter where you are, you can never recall the actual array." Edward waved her fork at him. "None of us can remember it either. I asked Al and some of the others. We can't remember everything we said and we can't remember all of the array."

"Every one says the same?" He questioned and she nodded.

"You realise what that implies, don't you?" She asked.

"No." He replied with a puzzled frown.

"It affects memory, Mustang. That would make it human alchemy."

Roy went silent and then shook his head. "No, you know how…wrong human alchemy is. It's the one application that everyone has always condemned."

"Even as they attempt it." Ed remarked soberly. "We've both seen it, Mustang. People go on about how evil and wrong it is and yet everyone seems to have an idea on how to use it. I'm not saying this is an unethical use of alchemy, but it _is _human alchemy."

"I… I don't know what to say, Edward." He said. "Interviews have always been held there. The array anchors the Chair. If you're not balanced properly with both the array and the Chair, you fail."

"I don't know why it would affect the memory if that was all it was intended to do. Maybe the designer was thinking of trying to enable a closer connection between the applicant and the Chair. How long has that array been there?"

"It's been there for years, centuries probably. As far as I know that room has been used ever since Headquarters was first built." He looked down at his plate as he carved a section from his steak. "Actually I had a question about your interview, Edward." He stopped as he saw her wide eyes staring at him.

Edward froze. "_No_." She breathed in denial at the sudden image that flashed before her eyes. No, that wasn't possible. That would be… that would be impossible. The array couldn't have been there that long. But the array had felt deep and it had pulled at her. She remembered saying to Al afterwards that the array had felt different. It was not related. It could not be related.

"No what, Edward?" Roy asked, a bit concerned at her reaction. He only said he wanted to ask a question.

"Centuries? Are you sure?" She stared at him and there was a hint of something he couldn't quite define at the back of her eyes.

"Edward, I'm not totally sure, I've never studied the history of Central, but that room has been there for decades at least. There are stories that say that room has been used for alchemical testing since Headquarters was built and that was a few hundred years ago. I know it's been remodeled and rebuilt several times, but there are some areas that have rarely been touched and that room is one of them." He studied her face and noticed the paleness. "Are you alright, Edward?"

She waved away his concern, but he could see she was thinking hard. It was with difficulty that he stopped himself from asking again, but when they got back to the office, he fully intended to ask again.

"You said you had a question about my interview?" She asked and he could see her attempting to shift the conversation slightly.

"Yes I did. You sat on the Chair in the usual manner but then somehow you moved and managed to sit cross-legged on it. How did you do that?"

Edward pushed her concerns to the side. Maybe the Library would have more information on that room and she could prove her assumption wrong. She tried to think back to her interview and ignored the way the hairs on her neck still stood up.

"I don't know. I was just getting comfortable." She said slowly. "The array felt like it was holding me up." She frowned. "It felt completely different to the first time I was there."

"Do you think its because you have been there twice that it reacted differently?" He asked feeling curious.

"I don't think so. You've been in that room many times and it doesn't seem different to you, does it?"

"No, but I don't cross the array. If it is…human alchemy, could that explain your…affinity to it?"

"Possibly, but Al says he didn't feel anything. It's not like there's anyone else to ask and compare."

"True. But that would be the most logical explanation." He said as he cut more steak. He looked up to see a pensive expression cross her face. "Edward?" he asked.

"There could be another reason." She said hesitantly. There was a solemn expression in her eyes and she looked at him as if considering whether or not to say anything further. "Not here, Mustang." His eyebrow rose and he nodded.

"When we return then." And she nodded slightly.

How much to tell him, she wondered. She could see it on his face. He was curious and she knew that a Mustang in search of information was just as bad as she was. He had always badgered her for more details than she had included in her reports. He had always known what she had left out. There was no report this time, but she had never been that successful in keeping too many things secret from him. He was going to ask and he would know when she was skirting the truth. The Elric's had always been wary of Mustang's ability to know when either of them were being less than honest.

She ate some more of her lunch and her eyes fell on the file. She was going to have to find the time to go to the Library later. Edward didn't think she could share that with him just yet, if ever. Damn, Al was going to be here and he was even worse than Mustang when it came to reading her mind. Damn, damn.

"Edward. Are you okay?" Roy asked. Her silence and that determined look on her face had him slightly worried.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said as she shook her head slightly. "It's nothing."

"You know I never believe you when you say that, Edward."

"I know." She grinned.

* * *

Breda returned from the hospital with a single piece of paper. Colonel Herbert had been very helpful and Breda looked rather pleased with himself as he sat on the corner of the desk.

"It's what we needed, Breda." Hawkeye said in a pleased voice. "Now if Fuery can get the logs."

"He will." Breda said confidently. "And Falman won't be too far behind either."

"I know. Maybe Jean's right. Doing this properly does feel strange." Riza remarked.

Breda laughed. "How is this doing it properly, Hawkeye? You've got me threatening superior officers, Kain pulling logs and Falman stealing records. Yes, I can see how that's doing it properly."

"You didn't actually threaten him, Breda?" Hawkeye asked. "I just said 'talk to him'."

"It started as a talk, Hawkeye. He just got a bit reluctant to keep on talking, that's all." Breda looked at her with an innocent expression on his face.

"Do I need to know how you threatened him?"

Breda pursed his lips and then shook his head. "Nope."

"And Fuery is just determining which wires we need the call logs for, he's not tapping them and Falman is getting copies of files, he's not going to steal them." Hawkeye stated firmly.

"Well, I would call it borrowing the files, Major." Falman said as he entered the office with some files in his hands. "It would have taken too long to get them copied, so I brought them with me."

Breda started laughing.

* * *

Lunch was going quicker than Roy had planned and he didn't feel as if he had made any progress. If anything he felt he had gone backwards. Edward had been distracted by some thought and it had put him off balance slightly. At least she hadn't totally locked him out. She had agreed to discuss it later and that was something the old Edward would never have agreed to. He was very tempted to just come straight out and ask her and consequences be damned. Edward was a straightforward person, she'd probably appreciate that approach better than any other method he could think of.

"Mustang." An amused Edward was staring at him and her head tipped sideways fractionally. He turned and found the waitress at his side.

"Excuse me Sir, but there's a phone call for you."

"Thank you." He smiled at her and stood up. "Back shortly, Edward." Edward waved her hand at him as he left.

She sat back in her chair. Lunch had been good, she supposed. There'd been a couple of awkward moments, but they'd managed to get past those. It hadn't helped to have had those nasty thoughts halfway through but she was keeping them tightly held in a little box at the back of her mind. She didn't need them at the moment. Something was on Mustang's mind. He kept frowning and looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

She had thought him aware of her attraction for him but now she was having doubts. Perhaps he wasn't sure and didn't know what to do next. She could relate to that, she'd been suffering from those doubts for a while now. The thought of him being unsure gave her an odd tingling feeling. Would he try to find out or would he just wait to see how she reacted? Did he even want there to be anything? Did she?

Did she want there to be something between them? If he knew she was attracted to him, would he want it to be there? And if he did… did she? And if he didn't… then would she feel relieved or disappointed?

Edward frowned. These were strange new thoughts. They ignored everything else and went straight to places she hadn't considered. What had caused them to suddenly appear? She stared at his empty chair and took a slow breath. These thoughts had weight to them. Her left palm suddenly felt sweaty and she rubbed it down her thigh.

"Did you see him?" The low voice asked close by and she looked up before realizing the woman going past was not talking to her but to her companion. Edward turned back to stare at the table.

"I saw him. Definitely handsome." Another female voice intruded on Edward's thoughts and she scowled. How was she supposed to figure out these new …

"Even with the eye patch, don't you think?"

… thoughts. Edward blinked. _They were talking about Mustang? Handsome? That was…_

"You'd get used to it for someone so gorgeous."

_…just not happening. Wait. 'Get used to it?' Why would you need to…_

"Looks aren't everything, my dear."

_…get used to it? There was nothing wrong with Mustang's face. It was …_

"So they say. But, honestly have you met anyone that actually believes that?"

_…just fine the way it was. Why did the patch make a difference? You couldn't see…_

"Not many, you're right. People just don't like scars."

_…the scars. Hidden beneath patches and shirts. They made one almost feel…_

"They can be ugly. Oh, by the way, did you see what Therese bought the other day? Now that was ugly."

_…like a freak._

"Edward." She looked up and found Roy looking at her. His voice had those soft edges and she could see it in his eye. The concern and the hurt. He had heard them as well. Her eyes flickered and she looked at him. Her eyes tracked the outline of his eye patch. She had never thought about how he looked. He had always been Mustang. The patch had made no real impact on her.

Her scars were hidden. Beneath a glove, beneath her shirt, beneath her trousers. His was right there under a slip of black cloth. She had grown up with her scars, she knew them, she had barely thought about them. She didn't share them and didn't like people staring at them. But hers were hidden. His wasn't. He would see it every time he looked in a mirror, every one else would see it when they looked at him. Her right hand fisted without her knowing.

No wonder he hadn't known where to go for lunch… or dinner. She suddenly remembered the tightness of his grip on her elbow that night. It had puzzled her briefly but now she realised he had probably been self-conscious. Had everyone judged him because he had a patch? Ugly? The patch wasn't ugly and scars faded and became less ugly over time. Roy Mustang wasn't ugly. She shook her head slowly.

"Not ugly, not a freak." She murmured and saw his eye widen. She froze. She'd said that out loud, hadn't she? Oh shit, and found she couldn't look away as his fingers gripped her chin.

"Neither are you, Edward." Why would he say that? That was strange, it was almost as if he had heard what… the contractor had said. Edward went cold. How could he have heard about that?

"How…?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Edward. What they said, it doesn't matter." He kept his voice low and his eye fixed on hers. He watched as she swallowed hard. The myriad of emotions he had seen flickering across her face had been intriguing. He hadn't seen any awareness of herself there until after he had spoken and then she had gone so pale. She had heard the contractor and she had said nothing, he was sure of it.

He had only heard the last couple of sentences as the women had moved further along but he had seen the unnatural stillness in Edward and he had been concerned. She hadn't noticed his return and he didn't think she realised he was holding her hand either yet. She was still staring at his face, at his patch. He loosened his grip on her chin and she blinked. For some reason he didn't feel uncomfortable under her intent stare. There was no pity, there was no sympathy either. She was just looking at it and finding it nothing remarkable. She had never shown any awareness of it before. He wondered what the women had said before he had returned. It still hurt to be judged by the patch, but he was finding that it didn't hurt as much any more. It was part of him. He was never going to be able to go back to what he had been. And the people who mattered most to him had always seen him for who he was and not for what he looked like.

"We can leave, if you want." She said in a soft expressionless voice. He looked at her and saw her recognition of just what his scar meant to him. She understood what it meant to be stared at and to be considered different and she was leaving it up to him what he did about it. The decision was his.

He suddenly smiled and a gleam appeared in his eye. Her eyes narrowed and she moved back suddenly realizing her hand was in his and he gripped it to keep her there. He lifted his other hand and snapped lightly to summon the waitress. A small flicker of flame trickled across his fingertips.

"I think we'll have coffee now." He said in a firm, clear voice.

"You show pony, Mustang." Edward remarked just before she started to laugh.

* * *

The little group in Mustang's office stared at each other.

"Okay, we can prove it. He's as crooked as they come and we have enough here to bury him." Breda stated.

"I still think we should let the Chief burn him." Havoc said.

"I wish we could do both." Fuery remarked.

"We could get the Lieutenant-General to inform him of his transgressions." Falman said and they groaned at him.

"Lighten up, Vato, please." Havoc directed.

"I know just who should be the one to inform him." Hawkeye said calmly. They all looked at her.

"Who?"

"The Fuhrer."

* * *

Edward tried again to stop staring at Mustang. Ever since he had ordered the coffee, he had changed. It had taken five minutes before he would let go of her hand and he had grinned at her as he did so. Whatever had been bothering him earlier had gone and now every time she looked at him, he was looking at her.

There was a gleam in his eye that gave her an edgy unsettled feeling. She was finding it hard to concentrate on anything else. She had the feeling that he wasn't thinking of anything else but her and it was starting to make her skin itch.

Those questions from earlier reappeared and she began to think that he knew exactly how she felt about him and that he had made up his mind as to what he was going to do. And she didn't know if she wanted to know what he had decided. She had no clue if she wanted there to be anything here or not. She liked him, she was attracted. What happened after that? What was there after that? What did you do after that? She knew Al had managed to get past this. But she wasn't considering that sort of thing, was she? Her and Mustang? That was where it broke down for her. She couldn't get past the impossibility of that image. It was frustrating, it was annoying and it wasn't made any easier with his smiling at her …again.

Roy smiled. His attention was distracting her away from the earlier comments and she was focusing on him again. She was getting a bit irritated because he was fairly certain that at any minute now she was going to start glaring at him. He looked at his cup, nearly empty. He was seriously considering asking her to dinner now. It was either now or at the office. The office was probably the safest place because he had no idea how she would react. But he didn't want to ask her at the office because that _was_ the office. He wanted this to be just him and her. Not Mustang and Fullmetal, but Roy and Edward.

Twice now, she had called him Roy. He hadn't realised at first that it had been her voice shouting at him this morning. She hadn't realised it either. Twice now. Once in anger, once on the verge of sleep. He wanted her to see him as Roy. He was tired of hearing 'Mustang'.

He leant forward, putting his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the back of his hands. He looked at her and frowned slightly.

"Why don't you call me Roy?" He asked before he realised he was saying it.

She stared at him and opened her mouth. Nothing came out.

"You always say 'Mustang'. It used to be 'bastard.' I think you've called me everything else except my curse-less rank." He continued as she blinked at him. "I was quite fond of 'bastard', there was meaning there, I almost miss it. Does using 'Mustang' have some special meaning that I am unaware of? Or do you just not like my name?" He straightened up and drank the last dregs from his cup. "A name doesn't really mean a lot, it's how you use it that counts." He put the cup down and stood up. He stared down at her for a moment.

"Coming, Edward?" He held his hand out.

She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face and he could have sworn her cheeks were turning pink as she lowered her head to stare at his hand. It felt like a long moment before she put her hand into his and he smiled.

Edward didn't say anything on the way back to the office. He had held her hand until they had left the restaurant. She stared at her hand, her mind still turning over his words. Why didn't she use his first name? It wasn't as if it was a hard name to say. She heard Riza and Gracia say it all the time. She had used it when she was thinking of him. Although she did use his full name when she did that. And he had sounded so contemplative, almost curious but not pressing. As if he had been discussing the weather.

Did she call him Mustang for any particular reason? She hadn't really thought about it. But to call him Roy seemed a bit too familiar. It was like dropping the 'Uncle' as you got older. Was that why it was hard to call him Roy? Because she had grown up thinking of him as Mustang? Or was there safety in using his last name? Was that why she got stuck? 'Mustang and me' had none of the strange tremors that went with 'me and Roy'.

She followed him to the office, not really seeing anything along the way. 'Roy and me' had her thoughts scrambling for coherency. The question of what to do now suddenly became much larger and definitely more nerve wracking. Wondering what he would do had become secondary compared to wondering what she was going to do. It wasn't a case of simply reacting to what he did anymore. This was admitting that the attraction and the like were valid and that she had to decide if she was going to accept whatever came with them despite all the doubts and confusions she already felt. Even her fingers felt cold as she shivered.

Roy noticed the office was empty as they went through it. He frowned lightly and then shut the door behind Edward before going to his desk. He looked at her. Her silence worried him slightly. He hadn't thought his question would have set her off into such a distracted state. He was curious as to what she was thinking about. He sat in his chair and wondered if she was even aware of where she was right now.

He always called her Edward. He didn't even shorten it down anymore. Did he call her that because that was how he saw her? He had always said that he saw her as Edward. At times he teased her and spoke to her just like he used to. And then there were those other times when he looked at her and she just knew he was seeing her as she was now. He went from one Edward to the next without showing any signs of confusion. Was she the only one who was confused? Was her confusion over who she was, making her confused over everything else? Or was it the other way around?

She had begun to see two Roy Mustangs. The one she was comfortable with and the one who made her quiver. Calling him Mustang kept the other one at bay. _"A name really doesn't mean much, it's how you use it that counts."_ He had said. Had she been using his surname to avoid all these new thoughts that attraction and like were bringing with them? Thinking of him as Roy was making it harder for her to keep calm inside. Attraction had been content to make comments, but ' Roy' thoughts wanted to do things. It wanted decisions made, it wanted words to come _from_ her, it wasn't content to sit and watch.

"…discuss that array, Edward." His voice broke through her daze and she blinked. Since when did they get to his office? Array? What array? Oh wait, damn, he wanted to talk about it now?

"Can we talk this over later?"

"No, Edward. Later never seems to get here." He watched as she sighed and sat on the chair in front of his desk after a disgruntled glance at the spot where a couch had once been. He leant back and waited as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

Edward looked at her hands and blew her breath out. Where did she start with this one? The last few hours had jumbled her thoughts so badly and now she had to struggle to find words that would make sense. She absently drew the glove from her right hand and looked at the steel fingers.

"When Al and I… when we did that transmutation, there was a place. A Gate. A source point for alchemic energy and equivalence. The Gate doesn't change, but how people perceive it does. To me, it was Truth. It gave me alchemy without circles." Edward paused and her words faltered slightly. "The Chair… like the Gate, it demands the Truth. Al doesn't remember seeing the Gate that time, so I think that's why he didn't feel the array like I did."

"You mentioned the Gate before, but you never explained it." Roy said. He was intrigued by the information and by the difficulty Edward was having in speaking about it.

"Only three other people have seen it, that I know of." Edward sighed. "I don't know if Al saw it when he brought me back."

"A point of Equivalence, you said? And you think because you have seen this Gate, that that is what enabled you to balance on the single Chair point?"

"Yes." She looked up and met his eye. There were shadows that he didn't understand on her face and the reluctance in her voice became more obvious. "The Gate appears to those who attempt human transmutations. That array has human alchemy in it."

"And if any of those other three you mentioned were to sit on that Chair, they would be able to do as you did?"

"Probably." Edward's head dropped back down to study her metal fingers. "But they're all… gone now."

"Would Al feel it? You said you didn't know if he'd seen it. If he did, would he be able to balance on the point now?"

"I don't know." Edward replied absently as she decided Al was never going to try it. She just wouldn't let him. "I don't know if its having paid its' price or just seeing it that allows it."

"A price?" Roy asked, his eye brow rising.

Damn, she hadn't meant to say anything about that. She could hear the curiousity in his voice and knew he would keep her here until she answered.

"You know the price I paid." She said slowly as she held up her hand.

His eye narrowed. "Your arm and leg were taken by the Gate?" He asked dubiously.

"Yes." She turned her hand round. "Human transmutation is not like normal alchemy where you draw your circle, calculate your materials and push your will into it. The Gate appears and determines the Equivalent Exchange. I lost my leg and Al and then gave up my arm to get his soul back. The price I paid." Edward was almost contemplative as she watched her fingers move. "Everyone pays a price for being an idiot. There are some things that alchemy just can not recreate."

"You never mentioned any of this before, Edward." Roy said softly.

"I know. It was easier to let people think my injuries were from the backlash. It still is. You can't explain the Gate to those who haven't been there."

"And your gender change is also a price you paid?"

"Yes. And I'd rather that, than have it taken from Al." And Roy knew she spoke with complete honesty. Edward had always tried to pay all the prices. She still was. When did Edward ever stop and just consider herself, he wondered. What other secrets did she keep locked away? There was still a whole four years of her life that he knew nothing about. How many prices had she paid during that time? She had mentioned a few things and he knew she had suffered while she had been away. Getting her to say this much had been difficult, it was going to be nearly impossible to get her to talk about the other things.

And he still hadn't found the right moment to ask her out. That was really starting to annoy him. He kept getting distracted, she kept getting distracted. It wasn't the right moment. He got nervous. She was oblivious. She had held his hand. It was a start. She hadn't used his name consciously yet, in fact she hadn't used any name yet. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, but he had fallen into that trap of saying what he thought to her. She had to be seeing that he was attracted to her, she couldn't still be blind to it, could she? She knew he wouldn't talk like that to just anyone. He stood up and went to the window.

Why was it being so damned difficult? Every time he'd get waylaid by second thoughts or he'd change his mind and decide it was the wrong moment. He wasn't that scared of her response was he? Or was he? Rejection was always painful. He remembered her response to the dancing orders and how that had hurt. He thought back four years to how people had viewed his face, even today it had happened. But today she had looked at him and seen nothing wrong, nothing to step back from. No rejection. She had understood. Would she understand that he saw her the same way?

"You okay?"

He looked and saw her standing near him, a slightly concerned look on her face. There was confusion in her eyes and she was slightly further away than he would have liked. If he asked her, he was going to confuse her more, but if he didn't then he was never going to make her see that he _liked_ her.

"No, I'm not okay." He muttered as he stepped closer to her and looked straight down into her eyes. She took a step back and he followed. She swallowed and stood her ground, the confusion in her face giving way slightly to fear. Fear of decisions, fear of attraction, fear of discovery, fear. But not fear of him and because of that he smiled and lowered his head slightly.

"I'm not okay', he repeated. "And it's all your damned fault. Will you come to dinner with me this Friday, Edward?" His voice softened on the last words and he kept his eye fixed on hers.

Her eyes went wide and she stared at him. He watched the fear disappear and saw the confusion return and then she stopped breathing as realization flared. Now she knew. And he was staying right in front of her. He wasn't going to let her find a reason to deny this.

Edward stared at him. He _knew_ she was attracted. He wasn't ignoring it. He _was_ attracted. He was staring at her. He was staring at _Edward_. _He was attracted_. Every confusing path her thoughts had taken lately had ended at one point. Roy Mustang could not be attracted to Edward Elric. She was male inside, he knew she was male, she had made it abundantly clear on several occasions. She had been male for nearly twenty years, for fuck's sake. And he was not going to be attracted. That was where the thoughts stopped. They…she hadn't gone further. She had simply gone back to the beginning again and her thoughts had ended up in the same place. That place had just become null and void. He was attracted. Like she had been comfortable with calling him 'Mustang', she had found a perverse comfort in having a brick wall to bash her thoughts against.

He had just demolished it. He had already taken away her sense of distance. In less than an hour he had managed to completely overbalance her. Twice. _He was attracted._

Now the questions were harder, more potent, riskier. What did she do now? Did she want to go further? Where was this going anyway? People attracted to each other went out with each other. Edward knew that. That was what he was asking. Going to dinner together. Not like the dinner of last time. This one implied dressing up, this one had date written all over it. To say 'yes' would be to validate the attraction on both sides, it would also bring out all the questions and confusions she could feel at the back of her mind. To say 'no' would be to decide to not go further. To risk regret, to realize that she was too scared of what was standing in front of her. It would be a denial of what she was feeling.

She knew she was attracted. If she said 'no' what did that leave her with? She'd still be left with attraction, wouldn't she? If she said 'yes' she'd still have attraction. And all those other thoughts just waiting to ambush her.

Roy watched as her eyes flickered from one thought to the next. She frowned occasionally and he couldn't follow the twisted paths she was thinking. The longer she took, the less anxious he was. It meant she was seriously considering it. She hadn't lashed out or refused straight away. It gave him a measure of hope, but it also meant that any decision she made would be one he was going to have treat carefully. A considered refusal was not something he was going to be able to simply refuse to accept.

The phone rang and neither of them heard it. Edward didn't know which way she should go, let alone which way she _wanted_ to go. Roy kept silent, tempted to say something, tempted to lean closer but knowing she had to make this choice. He had made his earlier. This was hers.

"If you don't intend to answer the phone…" The sudden voice cut through the quiet room and they both blinked. Edward made an indeterminate sound and she turned and left the room, walking past a dismayed Riza in the now open doorway.

Roy swallowed his sigh and lifted his head to face Hawkeye.

"I'm sorry, Roy. I did knock. I didn't realize…"

"It's ok, Riza." He said, keeping his disappointment under a tight control. "Was there something you wanted?" He asked as he went back to his desk.

She paused and then shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter now." She stepped into the room and came over to his desk. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Riza." He half-smiled at her. He should have realized that nothing would ever go to plan when it concerned Edward. He would have to wait a bit longer for a reply. He just hoped the extra time wouldn't send Edward into too much confusion. He gnawed at his inside cheek, he was very tempted to go after her. He frowned. "No, dammit, I'm not ok!" He said suddenly. Sitting here waiting was not what he wanted to be doing. He had asked a question and she had to give him an answer. He stood up and went out of his office. Everyone was there.

"Where did Edward go?"

"I think she mentioned the site." Jean replied, his eyes wide at the frown on Mustang's face. Roy nodded and left the office. Riza appeared in the doorway and they all looked at her.

"He's gone after Edward." Havoc said and she nodded, a smile starting to appear on her face. Jean began to grin and the others smiled.

"We can tell him about that other matter later."

"You don't think we could…?"

"Jean!"

"I think he might be right this time though, Hawkeye." Breda said slowly. "We're almost obligated to bet on this one."

* * *

Edward stood and stared at the hole in the wall of the Research department. She wasn't sure if she was grateful or not for Riza's interruption. It wasn't any easier to make her mind up now as it was five minutes ago. Surely it shouldn't be so hard? Did she or did she not want to go to dinner with… him? Dinner held no fears for her, it was the 'with him' bit that terrified her. It was all the 'what happens after that' questions that she was getting swamped by.

Edward had always gone forward, she had never thought twice about it. Until she had come back here and found that the stupid bastard Colonel she had barely tolerated in her past was now suddenly in the centre of her future. It was annoying and irritating… and she liked him. She was attracted to him. He was attracted to her. He wanted to have dinner. Come on Edward, you're supposed to be clever she told herself firmly, why can't you make one simple decision? She scowled at the wall.

The hand that gripped her right elbow went unnoticed until she was pulled to one side. She looked up and found a single dark eye looking at her.

"Yes or no, Edward?" He asked without preamble. He kept his hand at her elbow and his voice was even. It was her choice.

"Yes." Unlike his voice, hers was low and it reeked of uncertainty, but her mouth had decided that it had had enough of her mind's vacillating and she spoke before she knew it. It might go no further than dinner, this was merely a single step. It didn't have to lead anywhere. But it might.

"Good." He smiled and let go of her arm. Then he turned and headed back to the office leaving her staring after him, not sure whether to frown or smile. She groaned softly. Why the hell had she said yes?

"I am in so much trouble…again."

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang entered his office with a satisfied smile on his face and his crew mentally tallied up. As soon as he went into his office, the little book came out and marks were made and pushed along to the next round.

Hawkeye had been the hardest one to convince and it was only after they promised that it would stay strictly in the office, that no actual money was going to be placed and that they would make sure Edward and Roy did not find out about it, did she reluctantly agree. She picked up a folder and went towards his office.

He was leaning back in his chair talking on the phone and she hovered in the doorway for a moment and distinctly heard the words "Friday at seven" before he noticed her there and straightened up and brought the call to a quick quiet finish. He hung up and his smile had disappeared but she could see the faint pink on his cheeks.

"Sir." Riza said formally as she entered. "Regarding that contractor we spoke of this morning." She placed the folder on his desk and watched as he frowned before opening it. He began reading.

"You did what?" He exclaimed as his eye skimmed the first page. "How the hell…?" He looked up at her and saw the smug look on her face.

"No-one makes comments like that and gets away with it, Roy. Especially not about Edward."

"You went to the Fuhrer with this?" He read further in disbelief.

"Yes. I think he values her as much as we do." Riza did not tell Roy about the ease with which they had been granted time with the Fuhrer once they mentioned Edward's name, nor the willingness the Fuhrer had shown once they had marched into his office and presented him with the relevant information.

"You did all of this while I as at lunch?" He stared at her.

"Yes, Sir. It was amazing how co-operative everyone was." She said blandly and his eye narrowed.

"Do I need to be worried about any possible ramifications of all this co-operation?"

"No Sir."

"Where is this Bier now?"

"Under guard, packing for his journey, Sir." Hawkeye replied. "The Fuhrer assured us that he would make sure Colonel Armstrong had explicit directions as to his treatment on arrival."

"I don't want to know." Roy muttered and then looked at her. "And Edward is never to know." He said firmly.

"Of course. None of us will say anything." She hesitated. "Did she say anything during lunch?"

"Good." He paused. "Nothing outright, but I got the distinct impression she heard something."

"Jean says Sergeant Terlat will keep an eye on her for us when she's at the site. If anything happens he'll get word to us straight away."

Roy nodded. "Okay. Edward will have temporary authority over all Research appointments and functions. If that Terlat is intelligent enough, appoint him as her aide or something. She's going to need some help and better it come from someone who is already looking out for her."

"Edward is in charge of Research?" Hawkeye asked in surprise before she regained control.

"Yes, it's just temporary until we get a suitable replacement. Edward has the list and she'll go though them."

Riza left his office slightly stunned. And he had been amazed at what they had done while he had been at lunch. Somehow, it didn't seem to compare to what he had accomplished. Riza smiled. Roy Mustang was back. The decisiveness, the determination and above all, the self-confidence. He had come back to them.

* * *

Edward escaped to the library as soon as she could after Mustang had left. She had agreed to go to dinner and her mind was now crawling all over the place. It was finding questions, bringing back memories and feelings and generally making her edgy and unsettled.

She needed something solid, something to distract herself with while her mind calmed down a little bit. Because she knew that the minute she started thinking about him again, she was going to get pushed right into the middle of all those questions. And she didn't want to face that just yet.

How many times could she ask herself the same things and still have no good answers, she wondered. And she had new ones now. Along with the obvious 'what the hell were you thinking?' There was still so much from lunch she hadn't considered yet either. She was going to spend all night going over single word, look…touch. She was never going to get any sleep again.

Friday. It wasn't that far away. She was going to be an absolute mass of nerves by then and she'd probably hit him just because this was all his damned fault! Dinner. And not just a dinner, but a date dinner. She'd have to get dressed up. Oh fuck, she'd have to wear a dress. She really was going to hit him, right after she kicked herself for agreeing. She groaned. She was going to have to ask Gracia for help. There was no way she could do this on her own.

Edward froze mid-step at another thought and felt the blood drain from her face. Al would be here. With Winry.

Edward wondered if she could go back and change her mind.

Four hours later, Edward dragged her fingers down her face and looked around the silent library. Books and papers were piled in front of her and she looked at them with a dejected sigh. She had been certain she would be able to find out more about that array but there was nothing here.

Mustang had been right about one thing. The array had been here for at least two centuries. She had found references to it in several books detailing the reconstruction of some of the outer buildings due to an earthquake that had struck Central at the time. That had been when the doors had been commissioned. The Fuhrer at the time had requested 'something artistic' to offset the 'dour purpose which is conveyed by the mystery within'.

Pompous ass, as Ed had labelled him had also been responsible for the marble façade to the front of the buildings. He had been determined to make Central Headquarters into something more than utilitarian and had nearly bankrupted the military to do it. Some people just had no sense at all, Ed thought. He had been assassinated soon after he had raised taxes to pay for all his marble. Edward was not surprised.

She sighed again. There had to be older documents somewhere. Maybe she should leave it until tomorrow. She could go and ask Schieska. She'd remember if there was anything here and where to find it. She stood up and stretched and began to tidy the books. She couldn't stay too late, she had to start going through those files tomorrow to find personnel for the Research department. She had to try and get some sleep. She knew she wasn't going to get much anyway.

Not with thoughts of Mustang running around. Mustang. She was still calling him that in her thoughts. What was she going to call him? She had avoided calling him anything after they had returned. She hadn't wanted to call him 'Mustang', but she hadn't been willing to use ' Roy' either. Using that so soon after what he had said, would not have been right. It would've appeared as if he had pressured her to use it. But 'Mustang' would have been equally awkward. It would've appeared as if she had ignored all he had said. She swallowed and licked her lips.

" Roy."

Now there was a reason not to use that name she thought as images of him appeared. She saw again him standing so close as he had asked her out to dinner. She saw him holding his hand out to her. How could she use his name if her head filled up with all those images? She'd never be able to concentrate.

"Mustang."

Now that name was comfortable until she recalled his words. Using his surname was impersonal, it did create a mental distance. Safe. She worked with Mustang, but it was Roy she was going to dinner with. And that was not safe. That was the farthest thing from safe.

She pushed the books back onto the shelf. Everyone else could call him 'Roy'. They didn't have the problem with it that she did. Could she ever get as comfortable with it as they were? You're over thinking again Edward, she told herself and tugged at her tail.

"Damn him." She grumbled and picked up the next pile of books. I bet he's sitting at home, not worrying or having his thoughts all twisted around. I bet he's smirking and … No, he's attracted and he knows what to do, what to expect. I don't and that's why I'm falling all over myself, she thought.

"I don't know what I am, but somehow he does." She said aloud. How else to explain his being attracted? "He sees Edward, he sees _me_. He doesn't seem to have a problem with me being male." She frowned. "How come he can work it out when I can't? That doesn't seem fair. It's my problem, my identity."

The last of the books went on the shelf and she leant against them for a moment. "Roy Mustang is a bastard." She said slowly. "Why do I even like him?" She puffed her breath out. "Why am I even bothering? Anything I figure out now is only going to get confused tomorrow."

She straightened up abruptly, annoyed at her inability to come to any conclusions and felt the shelves rock. Several books fell down and she cursed as she bent to pick them up. One was opened and she closed it and placed it back on the shelf. She blinked, she hadn't seen that, had she? She slowly took the book off the shelf and opened it again.

An array was drawn there. Similar to the one in the interview room. But different, this was designed to funnel energy into inanimate objects. She ignored the array and looked at the notes around it. She had seen it. She flipped through the book and found more notes and papers tucked between the pages. She took the book back to the table and pulled out the papers. She spread them out. They were old, very old and she was very careful. She looked at the writing, the spiky thin lettering.

Hohenheim's writing. She would have recognized it anywhere. She had spent years deciphering it with Al as they had gone through his library. She had seen it on the other side of the Gate when she had stayed with him.

She looked at the book. It was a treatise on power transferals and linked arrays. She could see why he would have been interested in that one, given the way he had managed to live to be four hundred years old. The book was half that and so were the papers. She bent over to look closer at the papers. They were the calculations for an array. She looked at her watch. It was still early, barely nine o'clock. She could spend a bit of time working this out.

* * *

Roy Mustang was not at home. He was neither smiling or smirking and he certainly wasn't worrying over a blonde he had finally managed to ask out. He was standing in a police station, fuming silently as he waited for the Sergeant to get off the phone. He was wishing he _was_ at home thinking of a blonde he had finally managed to ask out. Or better still, sleeping and dreaming about that same blonde. When the man finally hung up, Roy took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Sir, but we had to call someone." The Sergeant said apologetically.

"I understand that, Sergeant. I'm just completely unaware of why my presence is required in the first place." Roy said, keeping his voice even. He did not appreciate being out here, at one in the morning in response to a phone call from Headquarters.

"I'm sorry, Sir." The Sergeant apologised again. "It's just…the prisoner claims to be Edward Elric, Sir. You know, the Fullmetal Alchemist." The sergeant stood up and came around the desk to lead Roy to the holding cells. "I know we get the occasional drunk who gets a bit carried away and makes these sorts of claims and we never bother you with them. We let them sleep it off and send them off the next day. It's just this one was really weird. I mean, it's not even a man this time. It's a bloody woman making the claim this time."

The Sergeant shook his head as he pulled out his keys to unlock the door. "Did you ever hear of such a thing? But she had a watch on her as well, and we couldn't ignore that."

Roy sighed. What had Edward done this time?

* * *

Author's Note: I know it's late, by a week…lol… and I apologise profusely for that … school holidays certainly made it harder this last week to get a good run at it… and as some know, I also had a stubborn Dragon to deal with last week and let's not mention Felis and the other two, I really am at the mercy of the plot bunnies lately… so thank you for putting up with me and waiting patiently… muito obrigada

silken :)


	24. “Have I told you I hate you?”

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 24: "Have I told you I hate you?"**

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric looked up at ceiling and sighed. She was very, very tempted to alchemise her way out of here. She had spent the last ten minutes working out six different ways of doing it. But what she could get away with at fifteen was not what she could do at twenty. It was unfair.

How long were they going to keep her here? She had to get back to the library and put those notes away. She did not want the librarians seeing any of that research. If they didn't get someone here soon, she would leave. Regardless of the fuss it would cause. Besides it wasn't her fault she was stuck in here.

Ringing headquarters, the Sergeant had said. In the old days she would have told them to ring… him and he would have verified who she was and it would have been over and done with in less than half an hour. Not this time. She groaned, what if they did ring him? Oh that would be just fucking perfect, she thought. They probably had little cards printed up from years ago with her face on it and a message saying 'Ring Colonel Mustang if you see this person.' Every police and train station in the whole country probably still had them. He had always known exactly where she had been and what she had done. Because they had used those damned cards and told him, she was sure of it.

What was she going to do if he did show up? He was the last person she wanted to see right now. It was so confusing again. Dinner on Friday. A date on Friday. With him. And she couldn't even call him by his name. Pathetic Edward, absolutely pathetic, she told herself. It was the simplest word ever. It only had three fucking letters in it. It wasn't the letters, it was the images that came along with thinking of him as 'Roy'. That morning at the hospital, the sound of his voice as he had asked her to dinner, that touch that made her quiver.

She sighed. She was attracted to him. She liked him. Why did he have to be attracted back? That's where the problem was. That's what got her confused. It would be so much easier if he wasn't. The man had been a pain in her ass since she had first seen him and now he had found yet another way to completely piss her off. It must be some inborn talent he had.

She lifted her right hand and looked at the gloved fingers. There was steel beneath the material. There was no feeling there. She couldn't feel when anyone touched it and she didn't feel anything when she touched. She knew he didn't have a problem with it. He had held her left hand and her right without thinking twice. He had grabbed her elbow, he had never even really looked at it. It didn't seem to matter to him. The scars however, were different. They weren't visible… yet. And that's where a big lump settled on her stomach and she had trouble keeping any blood from sinking to her feet.

Mutual attraction, dates. They led places. They went to places where scars became visible, be they physical or otherwise. She had already let some show by mentioning the Gate. How many more would he want to see, to know about? He had scars too, she had seen some of them. But was having scars something you wanted to focus on? She shook her head. Not for her. Scars were there and once they stopped hurting, you picked up and went forward again. You learnt not to repeat mistakes, sometimes. But they never really stopped you from becoming a total idiot in some other way later on.

Sharing them was not something she felt comfortable about at the best of times. Neither was he if that brief glimpse of hurt in his eye at lunch had been any indication. And that night in the library as well. But could they just ignore all of those things? Somehow she doubted that. Which led her to wonder why her thoughts were having long term hints when this was just one dinner, one date. It wasn't as if they were thinking of a relationship here, was it. Was it?

She frowned at the ceiling. Where did the 'they' come from? Why was she thinking of a relationship? Because she had no experience with this. She had seen what had happened between Alfons and Noa, she had watched that develop once she had become aware of it. Alfons had never seemed to be as confused as she was now. Was the confusion a female thing? Alfons had done stupid things like calculating mass and forgetting to add the fuel weight. He had drawn his flow chart and left out the ignition steps. She hadn't done any of that, she was running around with half her mind confused and the other half wanting to play in 'attracted-to-Roy-land'.

She didn't know how Al had worked things out with Winry and the thought of asking her little brother for advice in this was not somewhere she wanted to go. "Your older brother has a date with Roy Mustang and needs some help," was probably not something Al would want to hear anyway. She didn't even want to know how Al would react. It would probably traumatize him for life. Ed knew it was certainly doing something like that to her mind right now.

She was going to have to ask Gracia for help. Gracia knew she liked …Roy Mustang, she'd know what dinner like this would mean. Edward trusted her. She wouldn't tell anyone if Edward was making an idiot of herself by over-thinking this whole thing. She was one of two people who knew…no, three people, if you counted _him_, who knew how she felt. What would happen if the others found out? Going out to dinner was not exactly something that you could keep hidden. And much as she dreaded how Al would react, he was the one person she knew she had to tell. It wasn't something to let him find out by accident.

She looked through the bars to the door leading out. How much longer would it be? All this thinking time was going to bury her under a new load of confusion if they didn't hurry up.

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang walked behind the Sergeant as he led the way down the short corridor. He shivered slightly into his coat. There wasn't much warmth in the concrete coloured passage. This was not how he had planned on next seeing Edward. Not at one in the morning in a holding cell of all places. What had she done to warrant being held here? At least she'd had the sense to stay here, unless she's already left, he thought. He rolled his eye. That would be vintage Edward. Get called down here and find her gone. That would have him back here tomorrow with Edward in tow and having to explain not only that yes, she was an alchemist and the Fullmetal one at that, but also having to sort out why she had been here in the first place. He'd also have to get her to apologise for the inconvenience and he had more chance of actually dancing with her on Friday than he did of getting her to apologise.

Damn, it had better be Edward in there or he would be the one having to apologise for burning their jail down.

Another door unlocked and they entered a wider squared area where steel wired frames divided the room into several cages. One cage had become solid steel for some reason and the Sergeant stared at it.

"What…?"

"Are you going to change that back, Edward?" Roy asked, looking into the cage beside it.

"Maybe." Came from the blanketed lump on the cot in the next cage.

"How did you do that?" The Sergeant spluttered.

"Alchemy of course." Came a disgruntled mutter.

"I'm surprised you're still here, Edward." Roy remarked casually.

"So am I." The blankets shifted and Edward's head appeared. "But they took my watch, so I thought I'd better wait this time."

"You know her, Sir?" The Sergeant stared.

"Yes." Roy sighed. "Although I am tempted to deny it, Edward." She grinned without looking at him and sat up, pushing the blanket down.

"You're just saying that for old time's sake… bastard."

"Likewise." He replied as he smiled. He turned to the Sergeant. "This is Edward Elric, Sergeant."

The Sergeant stared at him. "But she's a woman!"

"Well that's pretty obvious." Edward said as she stood up and brushed her uniform down. It was creased from lying down and her hair was coming out its tie. She walked to the cell door and clapped to open it with a brief flare of alchemy.

"How did you get yourself in here, Edward?" Roy asked as he noticed the way she was avoiding looking at him.

"Being helpful." She grumbled. "Remind me never to do that again."

The Sergeant looked from one to the other. "And you're the Fullmetal Alchemist as well?" He asked with obvious disbelief.

Edward nodded. "Yes. And I'd like my watch back now. Please." She stared at him. This was like that day Riza had made her put herself on display to appease the curiousity of the military. She sighed. She wasn't going to have to go through all that again, was she?

"I don't believe it." The Sergeant muttered. "It just seems wrong."

Ed stiffened and Roy looked at her with concern in his eye.

"Wrong, Sergeant?" Edward asked in a calm voice but her eyes were flickering. "How is this wrong?"

The Sergeant stared at her. "A female Fullmetal? All the official bulletins had you listed as deceased. Was it all just some cover-up by the military? This isn't right."

Edward took a deep breath. A bit of the tension inside eased a bit. He didn't see _her_ as wrong, it was the situation that he had concerns with.

"There was no cover-up, Sergeant. The Lieutenant-Colonel was missing and believed dead. There was merely an accident upon her return and this is the result." Mustang said coolly. "The Fuhrer, along with the rest of the military, is very pleased to have Edward back returned to us, regardless of her circumstances."

Ed frowned slightly and looked at Mustang. She didn't need him to stand up for her, and she wasn't sure about the little warmth that settled across her chest as he did speak. She'd never had anyone do that before and it was strange to hear him speak for her. He spoke up for the others, not for her. I ought to be offended, shouldn't I, she thought. But she wasn't. That little warm spot inside wouldn't let her and she shivered involuntarily.

Why was it that once you began to feel one thing, all these other feelings decided to come along too? She seemed to be swinging from feeling to feeling all the time. It was disconcerting to someone who had always relied on thinking before and none of this muddled thinking either.

"Exactly what did you do, Edward?" Roy asked again curiously.

She glowered at him, focusing on his chin. "I was just minding my own business in the library when the guard outside called for help. So I went to help. The drunken idiot in there…" and she pointed to the other cell, "…had decided to try and enter the library and when that didn't work, he thought he'd try a little bit of assault. Between us we got him… errr, contained and I offered to bring him here while the guard went to get his injuries looked at." She sighed. "They didn't believe me when I told them who I was, so I told them to forget it and that they could keep him here anyway. Then they said they couldn't do that without paperwork to support the assault claim. So I told them to go and ask the guard who was probably at the hospital, if he hadn't returned to the library. I had thought the uniform was a pretty good indication that I was actually a member of the military but it appeared not, so I showed my watch to confirm what I was saying. Then I get accused of impersonating a military officer in order to steal the watch." She took a deep breath. "Which is when they decided to escort me to a cell and ring Headquarters."

Mustang looked at the Sergeant. "Did you send anyone to verify the Lieutenant-Colonel's claim?"

"Not yet, Sir." The man took a step back from the gleam in that single eye. "We've had a few disturbances tonight and we had no-one to send at the time. It was next on our list, Sir."

"Exactly why did you feel the need to hold my alchemist, Sergeant? She was in her uniform, she had willingly brought in an offender and had given more than enough proof of her identity. Why question her veracity?" Roy was surprised by the anger he felt that Edward had been doubted and placed in this position. Especially as she had done everything right. For once. And she had even stayed here and waited. Just because she was female now they had doubted everything else? It wasn't right as far as he could see. He wondered if he was being biased and decided he wasn't. If any of his staff had ended up here, he would have been just as concerned. Maybe not this angry though, the little voice whispered.

Edward tilted her head to the side. Mustang was over-reacting a bit, wasn't he? She tried to find some logic behind his behaviour and couldn't. He was attracted to her, she had found that out today. Did that suddenly kick off a protective streak? She hadn't felt one when she had realised she liked him. She blinked. Although she had been concerned at lunch when they had heard those women speaking. But she hadn't felt the urge to stand up and defend him. She'd been more taken up with realizing that his scars were different to hers, that people's perceptions dictated how you saw your own scars. That she had never really thought about his scars. Come to think of it, she hadn't really paid much attention to how he looked anyway.

She blinked. He was wearing his greatcoat but he didn't have his uniform on under it. She'd seen him out of uniform a few times. Why was it suddenly so important now? Elysia's party, that dancing lesson. Both times he'd worn…something… casual. She frowned. He'd worn blue, hadn't he? And that formal black suit he'd worn the night of the Ball. None of them had made much of an impression on her. It was still Mustang. But now, his hair was slightly messy, his slacks didn't look so pressed and his shirt looked creased. It was obvious that he'd been woken up and grabbed the first things he could. Why was it so important for her mind to catalogue each little crease and spin slightly at the fact his shirt wasn't buttoned all the way up? And why were her fingers itching and remembering just how his hair felt when it was rumpled like that? And why was she suddenly remembering exactly how he looked when he was sleeping? Why did his looks suddenly become important?

"This is wasting time and it's getting late." Edward said abruptly, running from her confusion and interrupting them. "If every one is happy now, I'd like to collect my watch and get out of here."

They stared at her and she refused to meet Mustang's eye. She ran her hand through her hair and swore as the tie caught and she yanked it off sharply. With a swift twist she resettled it into its long tail.

"Why are you staring and not moving?" She almost snapped at them.

"Edward?" Mustang asked. He frowned slightly. Edward sounded almost angry and he didn't know why.

"It's late and I have to get back to the library, Mustang. You've verified me, so we can go now." She replied, staring at his chin and trying to hide all the confusions and frustration.

"Uh, Sirs, if you wouldn't mind…?" The Sergeant pointed at the solid cell and Edward sighed before walking over and clapping to restore it back to original design. A rather disheveled man lay sprawled on the cot and the smell of alcohol became pungently obvious. Medium build and height, he looked rather worse for wear with a bruise shading half his face.

"Did you have to hit him, Edward?" Mustang asked curiously.

"Yes." She replied shortly and led the way to the door.

"Why?"

"Show us yer tits…" dribbled into the silence from the cell and Mustang's eye went wide.

"That." Edward refused to blush as she opened the door. "And also to make him drop the iron bar he kept trying to hit me with."

* * *

Edward stalked out of the police station and into the cool, very early morning air. Her watch was safely secured to her belt again and all she wanted now was the sanctuary of the library.

"Do you want a lift to the dorms, Edward?" His voice called from behind her. She shivered. She wanted to get away from him, not be in the same enclosed space with him.

"No. Thanks." She added. "I have to get to the library."

"It's two in the morning, Edward." He said and now he was right beside her.

"I know."

"Edward?" he queried. Damn the man, he was sounding concerned with that low voice that always made her feel strange inside. Why did she have to know he was attracted to her? Why was she so rattled by knowing that?

"I left some books and papers out. I have to clear them away." She said, trying to think of the notes and books and anything else but the man at her side.

"I'll give you a lift." He said firmly and she scrunched her nose up. Even in the mood she was in at the moment, she knew she'd never win against that tone. She sighed and followed him to the car.

She stared out the window and brooded. There was a strange irritation she was feeling and she didn't know why. Since he had stood up for her and she had been distracted by his looks she had felt unsettled. She didn't know if it came along with this mutual attraction that they both knew about but hadn't actually spoken about. She didn't even want to think how that conversation would go. Which made the thought of dinner on Friday a little more intimidating.

Why did he seem to be so damned normal about all of this? Why wasn't he looking confused or puzzled? He had said earlier that he hadn't been okay, but he hadn't seemed as un-okay as she felt. She tried to think back. It took her five minutes to find one example and even then she hadn't been sure of it. That time after doing the proposal at the hospital. She had thought his hands had shook, but she had been dazed at the time she wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not.

"We're here, Edward." His voice made her frown and she opened the door with a grunt, not turning to look at him. The guard was back at his post and he came down to meet her as she appeared.

She left him with Mustang and went into the library to clear away the calculations and designs she had begun to draw. She placed her hands on the table and hung her head for a minute. She stared at the notes in front of her, but she wasn't seeing them. Seeing him tonight had thrown her and she didn't know where she was. She had thought she would have all night to get some idea of how to behave, of how to adjust to _knowing_ that he was attracted, to find some balance in all the confusion. But not anymore.

Maybe there was no balance in this. Maybe thinking was just the wrong way. But Edward had always _thought_. She couldn't just stop thinking. Feelings weren't something she trusted. Feelings had lead her places she hadn't always wanted to go. And these feelings weren't just taking her to strange places, they were telling logic to stay out of it. And Edward really hated that part.

"These are very old, Edward."

His voice startled her and she looked up. He was looking at a page of the notes and not looking at her and she let her breath out.

"Yes." She kept her answer short and began to carefully collect them together.

"This writing is almost as bad as yours." He murmured as he bent over the page. "What is this about?"

"It's calculations for an array." She replied casually, hoping he wouldn't ask further.

"What sort of array? This is rather complex." Roy asked as he moved the sheet carefully to see the next one.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be working it out." She grumbled, almost resentfully, and his eyebrow rose as he looked at her. Edward was not comfortable and he frowned. He didn't recall her being this uneasy in his presence before. He didn't understand why she should be finding his company uncomfortable. It had never been like that before. He certainly wasn't feeling uncomfortable.

He watched her as she collated the pages and slipped them neatly into a book. She never looked at him. Was she embarrassed perhaps? Having him come down to get her out of jail was probably not something she would feel happy about. She hadn't met his eye there either, he remembered. And she had been very abrupt.

Maybe she was having second thoughts about having said yes to dinner on Friday? That he could understand better than her being embarrassed. Having second thoughts and then having to rely on the very person you were thinking about could cause you to become uncomfortable. And irritated. Just like Edward was. He almost smiled.

Second thoughts were natural, this was normal. Edward was behaving the right way for a change. He could handle this. He just had to back off a bit… and no, he wasn't going to do that. This was Edward. Give her any space and she'd find a way to get out of it. Give her enough time and she could have a five point logical argument prepared and ready to say why she couldn't go to dinner on Friday. Just because she was attracted to him, just because she liked him was no guarantee she wouldn't find a way to take back her acceptance. So he stepped closer and looked at the book in her hand and felt her tense beside him.

"Do you want some help with this?" He asked in a low voice, keeping his eye on the book. He heard the way her breath caught and he saw her hands tighten on the book.

"No." She turned away. "I can manage."

She began to walk to the doors and he followed her, smiling slightly. Her long hair was swaying and he could see the tension in her back. His eyebrow rose as she kept going and he coughed slightly.

"Edward…"

"What?" She stopped just inside the doors.

"You weren't thinking of taking the book, were you Edward?"

She looked at the book and then turned slightly, her lips curving as she looked somewhere in the vicinity of his right shoulder. "Yep."

"That would be stealing State property."

She opened the door. "I know."

He walked after her, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. He found her standing outside looking up at the sky. It was slightly overcast and she had a pensive look on her face that disappeared as he came up beside her. She grinned at his chin.

"Come on. I'll let you take me home now." She said and began to walk down the steps to the car. "Oh and you do realise, that you just became my accomplice, don't you?"

"…_take me home…"_ Roy nearly slipped on the steps as her words echoed in his head and he had a vision of driving her home. To his home. He took the next few steps in silence as he tried to pinpoint the reason behind his sudden thought and then he caught up with the rest of her words. He walked past her as she waited for him to unlock the car.

"There is no honour among thieves, Edward. If I get caught, then you'll be in the cell right next to mine."

* * *

Edward lay on her bed and frowned. It was nearly time to get up and she hadn't had any sleep. Damned man. She couldn't even concentrate on the book she had taken.

Something had changed and she didn't know what. The moment she _knew_ he was attracted she had become unsettled inside. Accepting dinner had exacerbated it, but she had managed to distract herself for awhile in the library. Now however she couldn't find any relief. Since he had turned up at the jail, things had changed again. He hadn't done anything strange, he hadn't behaved any differently. He hadn't even mentioned Friday.

He had stood up for her in the same way she had heard him stand up for the others before. She hadn't expected it, hadn't even thought of him doing that. And it had made her feel warm and that was disconcerting. And then her mind had decided to completely trip out on her and notice how he looked. Those two things had completely ruined the rest of the night. They were random occurrences that should not have happened. In ten minutes she had gone from confused to confused _and_ frustrated. And the longer he had been near her, the deeper it had gone.

Frustrated at not being able to find any logic, any reason. Not wanting to consider the real possibility that logic and reason just did not belong here. Edward sighed and got out of bed. At least she could stay at the Research site all day. She'd have some time to try and get a grip on what she was thinking, without having to see him at all. And tonight she'd go and see Gracia. Much as she hated to admit it, she really did need some help now.

Her day got so much better when she found a message taped to her door, requesting her presence in Lieutenant-General Mustang's office at nine o'clock.

* * *

Roy lay on his bed and smiled. For having had a nearly sleepless night, he was feeling remarkably good. The fact that he had spent an hour or so with Edward had helped, even if it had been under circumstances he had never imagined before.

Her behaviour was still a bit puzzling to him and he wasn't about to let her get too uncomfortable that she would back out of dinner. But he couldn't let her find any reasons to back out either. He couldn't remember being this unsure about a date before. Once they had accepted, he had always known it was a certainty. Edward was uncertainty personified.

Everything he did or considered became laced with indecision and almost fear of how she would react. His smile widened. He had never been so fascinated in his life before. Being unable to predict her was an attraction all of it's own he realised. Watching her face and seeing her thoughts flickering across it. Roy realised that having watched _him_ grow up, having sat through all those rants and arguments, having spent four years staring at golden eyes, he could read her thoughts clearer now than he had back then. But it didn't help him follow where those thoughts took her.

And tonight she had avoided looking at him. He hadn't been able to see those eyes. All he had seen was tension and confusion. He had wondered what it would be like to have a frustrated Edward around. He had a feeling he was about to find out.

He looked at the clock and decided to get an early start. He had requested a message sent to Edward for a meeting this morning and he grinned slightly at how she was going to react.

* * *

Sergeant Terlat entered Lieutenant-General Mustang's office at nine o'clock and marched over to Major Hawkeye. He saluted her and smiled slightly. He had had a brief talk with Major Havoc late yesterday and he knew just what had transpired. She merely nodded in return but her eyes were bright.

"They said I was to report here, Sir." He said politely.

"Yes. The Lieutenant-General has an assignment for you." She said and handed him a folder. He opened it up and nearly dropped it as a shout echoed from the inner office.

"You have got to be fucking joking, Mustang!" Edward shouted. "I don't need an office and I sure as hell don't need a staff!"

Terlat watched the office exchange smiles and heads tilt to listen. He barely had a chance to read the first line when he heard the Lieutenant-Colonel's voice again.

"It was your stupid idea to appoint me to this position, you never said I'd be moving!"

Smiles widened and Terlat found his own mouth stretching. He didn't know the Lieutenant-Colonel as well as they did and he found himself enjoying this side to her that he had never seen before.

"Temporary, my ass! You just want the space for your damned files!" Havoc and Falman grinned. Edward's desk was already covered in files for Mustang to look through and she had seen them as she had entered the office earlier.

"Like you do it anyway, Mustang! They'll still be sitting there in a month's time!"

Mustang's voice almost became audible but they couldn't make out the words.

"I do mine better than you do yours! And I don't need staff to help me! What the hell made you come up with that one?"

"I do not! You make him sound like a fucking baby-sitter, Mustang!"

"…after your last effort?" Hawkeye and the others exchanged glances as they heard Roy's voice. There was a casual edge to it and they could hear the smirk they could not see.

"That was not my fault!" There was the sound of metal crashing and smiles got wider. Automail had landed on the desk as Edward's temper soared. The smirk was guaranteed to make her react.

"Not your fault, Edward?" Roy's voice suddenly became much clearer as it rose. "Not your fault that I get called to bail you out of jail?"

The office froze and eyebrows rose. Wide eyes stared at each other and they listened much closer.

"No-one forced you to come, bastard! And that's the first time you've ever had to bail me out!"

"And it had better be the last time as well. I can think of better things to do at one in the morning."

"So can I, Mustang! And none of them include you!"

Edward appeared in the doorway, eyes glaring and her hair ruffled.

"Jail, Boss?" Havoc asked lightly and Ed scowled at him.

"Fuck off Jean." She growled and saw Terlat standing there. Her eyes flickered and she saw the file in his hands. "Have you read that?" She asked abruptly.

"No, Sir." He replied, slightly taken aback. Here was the Elric temper he had heard about, although it seemed less terrifying than he had heard, it still was intimidating.

"Good." She took it from his hands and tore it in two.

"Edward." Hawkeye said and Edward turned to face her. "That was an official file."

"Fine, it's now officially filed." And she tossed the fragments in the bin. "We can work this out our way. We don't need some stupid orders from an asshole who has no idea how things really work." She walked to the door. "Come on, Terlat."

"Take care, Edward." Mustang called from the doorway. She turned and stared at him. He smirked and his eye gleamed. Her jaw clenched.

"Have I told you I hate you?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Not today." He grinned and she threw her hands up in the air and stalked from the room. Terlat hurried after her and he could hear the laughter that suddenly burst out behind them.

* * *

Edward found it hard to settle in the makeshift office she now had in the Research section. She and Terlat had spent a couple of hours going through what they needed and what they wanted. And what they absolutely had to have immediately. Once they had made up what felt like several dozen lists and Terlat had gone to start on them, Edward was left to sit and look out the large hole in her wall.

Voices outside let her know that she now had a secretary and she sighed. Why was she suddenly feeling trapped in here? She hadn't envisioned any of this when Mustang had told her. She had assumed she could do any paperwork at her own desk, in the office and spend most of the time on site helping rebuild.

But no, she now had her own office and staff and a smirking bastard of a Mustang had insinuated she needed all of this because she couldn't be trusted on her own. Because she wasn't capable of doing this. Okay, maybe he hadn't quite meant it that way and he hadn't actually said that he didn't trust her. And she was probably exaggerating just a little bit. But he _had_ said she needed this and she had just found out that he was right and that rankled and added another notch to her frustration.

She looked around the room. About the only thing going for it was the hole in the wall. She could see through to the site and she considered going down there to help but she had to start going through these files as well. And the sooner she found someone to do this, the sooner she'd be free again.

She opened the first one and had barely read the first paragraph when there was a knock at her door. She looked up and saw a nervous private standing there.

"Yes Cal?"

"Umm Sir, Sergeant Terlat says he wants me to be your secretary." Edward blinked at him.

"Do you know how to do that?"

"Sort of. The Sergeant says he'll get one of the girls to show me."

Edward shook her head and frowned, slightly baffled at Terlat's actions. "Okay, I guess. I have no idea why he did that, Cal, but if you want to do it, then I don't mind."

"I'd like to, Sir." He said with a small smile.

"Consider yourself hired, Cal. We can learn how to do this together." She grinned at him.

"There was something else, Sir." His nervousness was back.

"What's that?"

"These, Sir." And he went out of the doorway and she heard paper rustling. Her eyes rolled. Paperwork. How much paperwork?

Her eyes went wide when Cal re-entered and she stared at him.

"You're joking!"

"No Sir, they arrived just then for you."

Six daffodils.

* * *

Roy Mustang smiled through most of his morning, despite the files that kept coming. Watching Edward rant earlier had been pleasant. She had called him a bastard again and while he had been hoping for a 'Roy' to slip out, he was not that disappointed. The uneasiness she had been showing when she had first entered his office had disappeared rapidly as he had goaded her into her rant.

He was enjoying this 'I like you and I know you like me' phase. What made it all the more enjoyable was knowing that Edward was feeling the same, even if she was irritated about it. And on Friday he would tell her and hopefully, hopefully she would say the same. He didn't think he could wait much longer before he told her, regardless of her response. Two days. That's all he had to wait now. Any longer and he couldn't predict how he would act, let alone Edward.

Hawkeye tapped at his door and entered with a message slip in her hand. She handed it to him in silence. He frowned at the extremely bland look on her face and read it.

"_Bastard."_ He recognized the writing and he smiled slightly. He wondered which particular incident had caused her to send this to him. He could think of a couple of things he knew she was upset about. He looked at the array beneath the word and didn't recognize it. But he knew Edward would never do anything too harmful. He put it on his desk and opened another file.

"Roy?" Hawkeye queried.

"Yes?" He didn't look up. He had no intention of sharing whatever Edward had sent him with anyone. Half of that was being prudent. There was no way of knowing exactly what Edward had set in that array and he wanted no witnesses. The rest of him simply did not want to share it because, no matter what was in there, it was meant for him.

Hawkeye paused. She was curious and slightly concerned. Something had happened between Edward and Roy and she didn't know what it was. There had been an edge to Edward this morning and Roy had been positively enjoying it. He had told them about Ed's brief jail time but he had been scant on details. Hawkeye had sent Fuery to track down the guard and hadn't learnt much more.

All they knew was that Edward had been detained after helping the guard out and that after a couple of hours she had returned to the library with Mustang and then they had left soon after. Falman had gone to the police station and heard that Edward had been held briefly under suspicion of attempted fraud and theft. There didn't seem to be any reason for the tension between them. Not this sort of tension anyway.

"Hawkeye? You wanted something?" Roy's voice broke through her musings and she blinked. He was looking slightly amused at having caught her out. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't ask him. Judging from the bland expression on his face, he wouldn't answer her, even if she did ask.

"No Sir." She replied.

"Good." He looked at the file again. "Oh, and Hawkeye, shut the door after you please." He asked without looking at her. He was not about to explain anything to her or anyone else at the moment.

He heard the door click and looked up with a smile. He pushed the files out of the way and picked up her note and placed it in front of him. He studied it briefly. It wasn't going to set fire to anything. He would have recognized any Flame Alchemy. It didn't seem dangerous, but it had come from Edward so he treated it with due caution. He lightly touched the array with his gloved fingers.

The paper bent and folded amidst the alchemic crackle and a little bunch of snap-dragons appeared and he laughed as he saw the little teeth and glaring eyes on each one of the paper flowers as they snapped at his fingers for a few moments before the energy faded.

He stared at them and then lifted them up and held them in the palm of his hand. They were quite intricately done considering they were made from paper. But why she had sent them to him was rather a puzzle. Edward didn't strike him as someone who would send flowers for no reason. Especially to him. It was rather a shock to consider her even thinking of sending flowers to anyone. Edward always seemed someone who would deliver things like that in person, not get them sent. He was tempted to go down and ask her why she had sent them but he looked at the files and sighed. Paperwork first.

He looked at them again and placed them carefully beside the picture of Maes on his desk. He smiled at the paper flowers as he opened the file. Maybe he should send her some real flowers.

* * *

Edward found the splash of yellow made the office seem a bit brighter. Cal had found a glass to put them in and they were perched on the corner of her desk. She had managed to resist her initial urge to go storming to his office and stick them into various places of his anatomy. She had even managed to resist the urge to swear and destroy half the office in an unnecessary display of temper. Cal's obvious terror had stopped that one. Although he hadn't been too pleased when she had drawn that array and sent him off to deliver it the Lieutenant-General's office.

He had sent her flowers. It had to have been him. There had been no note, but who else could it have been? She almost smirked. If it wasn't him, she had no doubt he'd come straight down after he touched that array. There was just no-one else they could have come from.

She had never received flowers in her life. She had given them. Rings of them to her mother, to Nina, to Elysia. Why would anyone be sending her flowers anyway.? Even him. Edward had seen bouquets in the office as she had grown up. Usually ones of roses that he would pick up as he walked out of the office to a date at the end of the day. Nothing like yellow daffodils.

Was this part of the "I like you, you like me, we're not talking about it" thing? Yet another way to drive her insane? Friday was suddenly seeming a long way away and yet it also felt like it was coming too fast. She had to find time to talk to Gracia, Al and Winry were going to be here, she had a Research department to rebuild. How was she supposed to get anywhere near ready for Friday?

This was becoming more and more frustrating.

* * *

Edward was not pleased to see Roy Mustang at the hospital that evening. As the day had progressed she had felt the need to talk to someone building. Knowing she was going to see Gracia had allowed her to think about what she wanted to say, to decide what she needed to know. She hadn't been too coherent in her own mind and she hoped that Gracia would be able to understand what she was trying to say.

And now he was here and her frustration leapt higher. She had to bite her tongue hard because Elysia was smiling happily at her and she smiled back as she walked across to sit beside her.

Roy smiled. He hadn't expected to see Edward here tonight and judging from her reaction she wasn't exactly thrilled at seeing him here. She was trying to ignore him as she listened to Elysia talking rapidly.

"Can you help, Roy?" Gracia asked and he blinked.

"Sure." He replied and had no idea what he had just agreed to.

"That will be great." She smiled and watched his eye drift to stare at Edward again. He was really not here, she thought. There was a new intensity to his gaze as if he had discovered something and was watching it intently. Gracia was not unaware that Edward was pointedly not looking at Roy. Things had changed between them and they both knew it.

Gracia smiled to herself. How long would it take them she thought, to admit to it? They were dancing around it, circling each other warily. And Edward in particular was looking unsettled by it. Gracia decided to find time to talk to Edward and soon, it looked like she might need it now.

"I can go home on the weekend." Elysia said to Edward and Edward smiled at her.

"That's wonderful news, princess." Ed leant over to hug her. They had all hoped that Elysia would recover and she had. There was still a slowness to her movements, but she was as bright and as cheerful as they could have wished for. The illness had caused her to undergo a growth spurt and she had become thin. But once she was at home, everyone was counting on normal routines to bring back some of the flesh she had lost.

"We're going to have a party." Elysia said happily.

"A small one, honey." Gracia added.

"You'll be there, won't you Sister?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything." Ed smiled at her.

"I don't know if Gracia would really want a felon in her home," Roy drawled from the side. Edward fisted her hands on the bed and glared at him as Gracia looked from one to the other.

"What's a felon, Uncle Roy?" Elysia asked staring at him with wide eyes.

"A felon is someone who's been to jail, princess." Roy said calmly.

Gracia and Elysia both turned to Edward who groaned and let her head hit the bed before sitting up straight again.

"Did you go to jail, Sister?"

"Just for a couple of hours, Elysia." Edward tried to keep her voice level.

"Did you do something bad?" Elysia asked and her voice shook and Edward shot a dark look at Roy who had the grace to look slightly ashamed.

"She didn't do anything wrong, princess." He came over and sat on the other side of the bed. "It was all a misunderstanding."

Elysia looked at Ed and Ed smiled at her as she nodded.

"You'll have to tell me the whole story one day." Gracia said and Edward and Roy both blinked and then looked at each other. Not the whole story they both thought at the same time and they laughed.

Edward relaxed a little as Mustang teased Elysia and she had a chance to sit back. He had come straight from the office but he had taken his jacket off and undone the top button of his shirt. Edward frowned. She was doing it again. What did it matter how he was dressed? Who cared if the white shirt made his skin look pale tan? And it was no concern of hers that his hair had dropped across his patch again and her fingers itched to push it back.

Maybe it was better she had a different office now. If her mind wanted to run off into Mustang-appreciations, the further away from him she was the better. There was less opportunity for her to get distracted. Although, she noted with a wry grin, that hadn't stopped her from staring at the flowers for nearly half an hour this afternoon.

"Edward?" Gracia asked and Edward came back to where she was again.

"Sorry, Gracia." Edward blinked. Mustang had left the room and she hadn't even noticed.

"It's ok." She smiled at the still slightly distracted woman. "I wanted to ask if you could help on Friday?"

"Friday?" Edward blinked. "When? Doing what?"

"It's just getting things straight at home before Elysia returns." She said in a casual voice and Edward frowned slightly. "It's in the evening and it wouldn't take long."

Edward bit her lip. If she had wanted a reason to get out of dinner with… Roy Mustang, here it was. And it was a reason he couldn't find fault with. She knew him well enough to know that he would demand a very good reason for her to cancel their…dinner.

"Edward?" Gracia frowned slightly. She hadn't thought Edward would hesitate.

"I can't, Gracia." Edward said in a slightly stricken voice. "I…I already have something planned." She looked upset and Gracia didn't press. Knowing Edward she would reconsider and Gracia would get a call tomorrow saying she had changed her mind and would be there.

"It's ok, Edward. I understand." She smiled and Edward looked relieved but still a bit worried.

"Al and Winry will help, it's just…" Edward stopped. "Umm, I was wondering, if I could come and talk to you Friday morning?" Edward asked in a nervous rush.

"Of course you can." Gracia wondered what was bothering Edward and knew Roy had to be part of it. "Or tomorrow?"

"I can't. Al and Winry will be arriving late tomorrow and they went and gave me a schedule for tomorrow." She grumbled slightly. "But I can get out for an hour or so on Friday." Ed stopped abruptly as if she had more to say but didn't want to say anything just yet.

"I'll look forward to it." Gracia replied. "You know I'll do all I can to help."

"Good." Edward smiled and the relief was more noticeable. Gracia had not let her down. Maybe, just maybe she would be able to explain some of the reasons why everything felt so different now. All Ed had to do was to find the right words to make herself understood. That might just be the hardest part.

Mustang came back in and she decided it was time to leave. She had had no sleep last night and she knew there would be little tonight. But if she worked on that array until she felt tired, she just might be able to get some sleep.

"Ahh, Edward. I wanted to thank you for the flowers before you go." Mustang said with a smile.

Edward grinned at him. "But you still have all your fingers."

"I knew it was from you, I took no chances."

"You sent Roy flowers, Edward?" Gracia stared at the blonde.

"I had to, Gracia. He sent me some." Edward said and Mustang sat up straight.

"What?" He looked at her. "I didn't send you any flowers."

Edward stared back. "But…"

"What sort of flowers were they, Edward?" Gracia asked curiously.

"Daffodils." Edward kept staring at Mustang. "You didn't send them?"

He shook his head in a definite denial and she wondered why she felt a sudden wave of disappointment hit her. She hadn't been exactly happy to receive them. They had sent her into nothing but frustration. But as the afternoon had worn on she had gotten used to seeing them there and as he hadn't come down to demand an explanation of her flowers she had assumed that he had sent them.

"Well, if you didn't, then who did?"

"Wasn't there a card or a note with them?" He asked with a frown. If anyone was going to send Edward flowers, it should be him.

"No, Cal said they were just delivered and there was nothing to say where they came from."

"Who's Cal?"

"He's my new secretary, seeing as I need one now, thanks to _you_." She said, grousing slightly. He grinned.

"Does he know who dropped the flowers off?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't ask him." She glared at him slightly. "I can't think of anyone who would send me flowers except you."

"Why would I send you flowers?" He asked without thinking and saw her eyes flicker. He cursed himself for saying that but he was a little unbalanced at the moment. He had hurt her unintentionally, not realizing how the words would sound. He had really wanted to know why she would think he had sent her flowers. How had her mind made that leap?

"I don't know." She snapped slightly. "Maybe because you're the only one I know trying to make my life complicated right now. Because I couldn't think of anyone else."

Gracia watched them. They were circling again. And Edward was getting frustrated and confused. This couldn't be easy for her, Gracia thought. No wonder she wanted to talk. It must be very confusing if Edward was voluntarily seeking to talk.

"Daffodils are pretty." Elysia remarked before looking at Edward. "What did you send to Uncle Roy, Sister?"

"I'll show you." Edward replied, glad of the distraction. "Can I have a piece of your paper, please?"

Elysia handed over a sheet of her coloured drawing paper and Edward placed it on the high table. She borrowed a pencil and Elysia knelt on the bed to have a closer look. Edward drew the circle she had used earlier. Roy watched. He had never seen her draw circles before. He was only familiar with her usual style. She made drawing circles look easy. There was no hesitation as she filled in the lines and angles. Straight lines and angles measured by her eyes alone.

She put the paper in front of Elysia and looked at her. "Ready?" And Elysia nodded. Edward laid her fingers lightly at the circle's edge and it crackled and folded. The little snap-dragons appeared and Elysia laughed as they snapped and waved around. Gracia smiled and looked at Roy. He was smiling too, but he was looking at Edward.

Elysia held the paper flowers in her hand and the smile stayed on her face.

"Are they like yours, Uncle Roy?"

"Exactly the same." He replied.

"Can you do different ones, Sister?"

"I don't know, Elysia." Edward smiled. "I didn't really think about it at the time." She stood up and gave Elysia a hug. "I have to go, but I will see you later, okay?"

"Okay." Elysia hugged back and Edward held her close with a soft smile. Hugging Elysia reminded her that forgiveness was sometimes granted and she felt it every time the thin arms went round her neck.

She gave Gracia a hug as well and shared a smile with her. She looked at Mustang and avoided his eye with a muttered "Good night" in his general direction.

"Not going to the library, Edward?" He asked with a slight smirk and she glared at him. One bloody smirk and it all came back again, the frustration and the confusion and the reminder that she liked him, of all people. She almost stomped to the door.

"Have I told you I hate you?"

"Not today!" He replied and saw her hands fist in response as the door closed behind her. He smiled at the door.

"Doesn't that bother you, Roy?" He turned to Gracia, still smiling.

"No, Gracia, Edward says it all the time lately. I think that's the second time today actually."

"I thought Sister liked you, Uncle Roy." Elysia said with a frown. The adults paused slightly and then Roy turned to Elysia and smiled.

"She does. She's just found a different way to say it."

Gracia smiled. And so have you, Roy she thought. And so have you.

* * *

Edward did not get much sleep. Working on the array did not prove to be the distraction she had been hoping it would be. Knowing that he had not sent the flowers got between her and every damned calculation. Remembering what he looked like caused her lines to waver. Knowing they were both attracted had her throwing her pencil away and throwing herself onto the couch and staring furiously at the ceiling for most of the night.

The morning did not get much better. Terlat had organized her time and had even included a thirty minute lunch break. Edward had a feeling Terlat had been taking secret lessons from Hawkeye because he was suddenly a lot more confident in telling her what to do. Cal was learning how to be a secretary and was managing reasonably well so far.

Too well, Edward thought resignedly as another set of folders was placed on her desk.

"Do I really need to read all of them, Cal?"

"They're the personnel records for Alchemists."

She groaned. Yes, she would need to read all of those ones. Her eyes caught on the flowers and she scowled at them. They weren't from him and the part of her which now continually resided in 'I like Roy Mustang' harboured a resentment about that. The rest of her, which was starting to become a vocal minority, kept asking why she'd even want flowers from him, or anyone else in the first place. Had _he _forgotten just who _he _was?

She thought she'd managed to ignore those other questions while she tried to find answers to the others. It was never going to be that simple. She was glad Al was going to be here. The amount of frustration she had building up needed a good sparring session to help her to clear it from her mind. Maybe then she'd be able to think straight for a change.

* * *

Roy Mustang didn't sleep as well as he thought he would mainly because he was wondering who had sent Edward flowers. He wondered if he should get one of his crew to do some discreet investigating. But that would announce to all and sundry how he felt and he wanted to at least have had one date before anything became known. He had a feeling Edward was probably feeling something similar. People didn't need to know…yet.

But the flowers had thrown him. He had planned to give her a small corsage on Friday and he had spent an hour tonight telling himself not to second guess what Edward would do when he gave it to her. At least Edward would know that he had given her these ones.

The morning dragged. File after file and he looked at the paper flowers before opening each one. The Investigations department was in just a big a mess as Research, except that they had a complete building. This was one of those moments when he really missed Maes Hughes. He stared at the photo on his desk and sighed. Maes would have been perfect for this. Together they could have gotten all of this done within a month.

He had asked for this and he had received it. He hadn't realised exactly what it had entailed and like Edward, he found it daunting. But for him, there was a feeling of satisfaction. For years he had striven to position himself in order to reorganize the military and now he had finally reached that point. It wasn't exactly as he had planned and he no longer regretted it.

He wondered how Edward was getting along and smiled as he imagined her doing the same thing he was at the moment. Although she was probably cursing hers, while he fought the urge to incinerate his.

* * *

Edward escaped her office in the afternoon and headed to the actual construction area she could see through her wall. Terlat was there and they went over yet another list of what was needed.

It was good to be outside and she enjoyed being able to walk around after sitting down for what felt like forever. Out of ten personnel files she had managed to pick three. And it had taken her two hours. She hadn't realised it was that difficult to make decisions like this. But you had to take in length of service, current research commitments, commanding officer recommendations and in a few of them, family responsibilities.

She'd have to take the three chosen ones to Mustang for his approval and she thought she could put that off until Monday. She was confused enough at the moment and she knew she wasn't going to be much better, and possibly much worse, tomorrow.

"Edward!" A female voice called her name and Edward froze.

"Oh fuck." Terlat looked at Edward in surprise as she swore before turning around. Terlat turned as well and saw a young man and woman approaching. He didn't see any reason for the Lieutenant-Colonel to be wearing an expression which wavered from terror to happiness and back again.

"Sister!" The young man called and Terlat blinked at the blinding smile on Edward's face.

"Al!" She didn't quite run to him but they both stepped quicker and stood staring at each other for a long moment before they hugged.

"What are you doing here? I was coming down later to meet you." Edward asked as they let go.

"We changed this morning and caught the express." Al grinned at her and she shook her head at him.

"What have you done to my arm, Edward?" Winry demanded as she came up beside them. Edward smiled.

"Nice to see you too." She smirked slightly and Winry rolled her eyes at her.

"Oh please, Edward. If I said anything else, we'd be picking you up off the floor."

"You usually were anyway, what with the wrench-throwing thing." Edward retorted.

"I can always oblige, you know."

"You do and I'll find another mechanic." Edward threatened in return.

"You let anyone else touch my arm and I will weld your nerves in next time."

"You try that and I will transmute every single tool you own."

"The damage isn't as bad as I thought it was." Al said calmly, ignoring his sister and fiancé's bickering and studying the building behind them.

"All the debris has gone now and we had to make some repairs, but we can't do much more now until the plans are completed." Edward turned from Winry with one last grimace and began to lead them closer.

"Meet Sergeant Terlat. He's my babysitter." She said with a grin to the man as he looked up at their approach. Terlat almost smiled as Al turned a horrified face towards Edward.

"You can't say that, Sister! That's rude." He scolded her and Edward smiled at him.

"But it's true, Al." She replied calmly. "Terlat, my brother Al, and his fiancé, Winry." She waved her hand about as she introduced them and they all smiled at Ed's casual manner.

"I apologise for my sister, Sergeant. She's never been very tactful." Al said and Terlat shook his head.

"The Lieutenant-Colonel is quite correct, Mr Elric. Part of my duties are to make sure she does not get herself into any more trouble." He smiled at the young man, enjoying the spluttered noises from the Lieutenant-Colonel.

"Any _more_ trouble? Edward?" Al turned and looked at her with a stern expression on his face.

Edward threw her hands up in the air. "Al, you just got here, can we leave the inquisition until later? Like when we're somewhere more private?"

"Where less people can hear how much of an idiot you've been, Sister? Is that what you mean?" He asked her serenely.

"It's a good thing you're my brother, Al, or I would hate you right about now." Edward stated.

"First I want to see your arm, Edward." Winry said, knowing that once they got started there would be no interrupting them.

"Can't it wait?" Edward asked.

"No. The sooner I assess the damage, the sooner I can fix it."

"It's just a hole in the plate."

"Let me see."

"Let's find somewhere to be comfortable." Ed sighed. "My office is out, there's a large hole in the wall."

"We can use the General's. He had to go out and Major Hawkeye will let us." Al replied.

"Fine." Ed said heavily. "Terlat…"

"Yes, Sir. I'll tell anyone that calls that you're busy."

"Thank you." She smiled. "If it is important, then you know where I am."

The three of them began to walk across to the other building.

"How do you know Mustang's out?" Edward asked.

"Hawkeye told us when we went there to find you." Al shrugged. "We'd just missed him apparently."

"I'm glad you're here, Al." Edward smiled and he smiled back.

"What about me?" Winry demanded.

"Yeah, you too." Edward said and made her voice sound reluctant as her eyes gleamed. "Almost."

* * *

Roy Mustang had already discovered that liking Edward Elric made him an inept and clueless social idiot. He had also discovered that his mental processes in general preferred to take a scenic route through "I like Edward" before coming to any conclusion remotely associated with the original thought. And he discovered, ten minutes before Al and Winry arrived, that the mental spacing out caused by thinking about liking Edward Elric had placed his Friday night plans into jeopardy.

When Havoc came to his office door and asked if he wanted a lift on Friday night or not, he blinked and asked "What for?"

"To help get things ready for Elysia's homecoming." Havoc replied in a surprised voice.

Roy shook his head. "I don't remember this." He frowned.

"Gracia said you'd agreed to help." Havoc frowned in confusion. "Last night, at the hospital."

Roy thought hard. He couldn't remember hearing anything about this. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Havoc stared at him. "Gracia's organized a whole new bedroom set for Elysia and we're going to put it up to surprise her when she comes home on Saturday."

"I wouldn't have agreed to that." Roy muttered and picked up the phone. He ignored the way Havoc's eyes widened at his words. "I'll ask Gracia."

"Fuery's unhooked the phone and is putting it all back to normal, Chief." Havoc said slowly.

Roy frowned, deeper in thought and suddenly remembered possibly agreeing to something. But he had been staring at Edward at the same time. He hadn't…he had.

"Fuck." Havoc blanched. Roy Mustang never swore. He watched with amazement as Roy stood up and strode quickly to the door, grabbing his coat.

"Call my car. I'll be at the hospital." And he was gone, leaving Havoc trailing out to stare at Hawkeye with a stunned expression on his face.

"Jean?"

"He…"

And that was when Al and Winry appeared.

* * *

The office looked up with interest as Al and Winry reappeared with a reluctant looking Edward in tow. Smiles were exchanged when Hawkeye agreed to let them use Mustang's office as a makeshift workshop. And she promised to make sure they weren't disturbed. Edward had been very grateful at that.

Edward rolled her sleeve up and undid the bandage she had been keeping the hole covered with and let Winry look at it.

"Where's the General's couch gone?" Al asked.

"He killed it the other day." Ed replied with a grin. "He completely lost his temper."

"What did you do, Sis?"

"I didn't do anything. It was already burning when I came in."

"This is not a small hole, Edward. You've also dented the bottom plate as well. Exactly how did you damage the arm?"

"A piece of steel fell and went through."

"Edward." Both Al and Winry said at the same time.

Ed sighed. "The ceiling collapsed and I put my arm up for protection and when I got out I found the steel in my arm."

Al sighed and Winry rolled her eyes. Ed looked at them both. She knew they cared and she knew she was probably a bit over-protective still in not wanting Al to worry about her.

"No wonder you have a babysitter, Edward." Winry remarked as she twisted a wire.

"It was not a major incident." Edward said calmly. She couldn't see why they were making a fuss about this. She looked at Al and he stared back at her.

"Sister. I worry about you."

"I worry about you too, Al." She kept her voice level. "But I can't not help when I can, brother."

"I know." He sighed again. "I just can't help thinking that if you hadn't damaged your arm, you wouldn't have told me about it all."

"No, Al. I'll always tell you." Ed smiled at her brother. "And besides, if I don't, I know Riza would."

Al smiled back. "Or she'd make you call me." He added.

"Definitely." Edward grinned.

"I need your arm, Edward."

"So do I, Winry." Edward retorted.

"Not at the moment you don't."

"How long will this take?" Ed asked, as she took off her jacket and undid her shirt, grateful again for the tank top underneath. She went around Mustang's desk and pulled out his chair to sit on. While having her arm removed was nowhere near as painful as re-attachment, it was still better to be sitting down for it.

"Until tomorrow, I think. I can get most of it done tomorrow morning." Winry looked at Edward. "I know you'd probably like it sooner, but I really want to see Mrs Hughes and Elysia tonight."

"Then why not take my arm tomorrow?"

"Because I still have to clean the dust out and although you missed the wires, the tension has sagged slightly and I can overhaul them all. Those things don't take long and if I do them today, you won't have to wait as long tomorrow."

"So instead of half a day without it, you're making me go overnight without it."

"No, Edward. If I had to do all of this tomorrow, you'd be without it for the whole day."

Edward frowned. Tomorrow was suddenly looking a whole lot more complicated. Winry wouldn't accept waiting until Saturday to do this and Edward really did not want to explain her reasons for delaying. Not yet anyway. She didn't really want to tell anyone until afterwards. It wasn't that she didn't want people to know, she just didn't want them to know, yet. Not until she had a better idea of what was happening.

This 'I like him, he likes me' was surrounded by so many questions and confusions, it seemed almost tenuous at times. It was annoying and frustrating and she kept sliding from one unfinished thought to the next. Dinner tomorrow made her anxious, it unbalanced her, but it was also a chance of finding out more about this whole thing. Edward Elric had always been too curious for his, and now her, own good.

Edward sighed. "Fine, let's get this done."

* * *

Roy looked at Gracia and apologised again. For the third time. Gracia was hard-pressed to keep her smile hidden. She had never seen him so disturbed when he had entered the room abruptly and barely said hello to Elysia before almost dragging Gracia to one side and demanding to know if he had agreed to anything on Friday.

His face had been almost horrified when she told him that he had agreed to help.

"I can't, Gracia. I'm very sorry, but I can't." He had sounded torn and she had frowned. He sounded as upset as Edward had when she had asked her. "I forgot I had something else booked, Gracia." He sounded even more apologetic.

"It's ok, Roy. I understand." She had smiled as her mind whirled.

"If I could break this, I would." He had said, although his stomach almost twisted at that thought. Maes would understand, he thought. He would know Roy wasn't letting his family down, even if it felt like it.

Gracia watched as he took a deep breath and smiled at her. She noticed the relief and was again reminded of Edward. Everyone else had agreed or offered to help, except those two. Gracia's eyes flickered as she decided to test her theory.

"Roy, it's ok. I have more than enough people helping. You don't have to feel so guilty." She smiled at him. "Now go, back to work. Oh, and tell Edward, tomorrow night is fine."

Roy froze. Edward wouldn't have, she just wouldn't have. If he hadn't, then she wouldn't. It wasn't possible.

"You're right, I have to get back." He said without thinking. He hugged her briefly and didn't see her wide smile as he left the room as abruptly as he entered.

Gracia smiled for a long time after he left. She didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about lying to him and she knew that Maes would appreciate every moment.

* * *

Roy went straight to the Research department and found no Edward there. A nervous looking private told him the Lieutenant-Colonel was at Lieutenant-General Mustang's office and he turned around and headed to his own office.

Hawkeye looked up and saw a frowning Roy Mustang stride past her and she stood up to stop him but he had already opened his door. He walked into his office and froze.

Al was standing by his desk. Edward was in his chair and the Rockbell girl was standing just in front of her. Edward was white and she was pulling her shirt up rapidly.

"What the hell are you doing, Mustang?" Edward snapped.

"This is my office, Edward." He replied sharply.

"I know that, bastard." Edward stood up and swayed slightly. Winry reached out and Edward took a step away, still slightly behind her.

Roy stared at the glaring golden eyes in that white face. He had the impression that he was the last person she wanted to see right now and if she had cancelled tomorrow and not told him yet, he could understand that. It made him more determined to change her mind.

"Hawkeye." Edward looked towards the door accusingly.

"He went too fast, Edward. I'm sorry." Riza replied and Roy turned to see her and the others there. What was going on? They knew and he didn't?

Al walked around and stood next to Winry, his eyes wide. He couldn't remember seeing the General looking so …so disturbed. And Edward was looking much the same. Although he could understand her reasons. Edward hated anyone seeing as she had her arm looked at.

Edward moved slightly around the desk, keeping her left side facing him, and reached for her jacket. She wasn't going to try and do buttons up one-handed while he was standing there. He hadn't noticed yet and she was hoping he wouldn't. Something was bothering him. He hadn't stopped frowning at her since he had entered.

Why did he have to come back now? He was the last person she had wanted to see her like this. Why it mattered so much now compared to years ago, she wasn't sure. Last time she had been too upset over Al to be really self-conscious of her own damage. But now, it was different. This was all mixed in with scars and attraction and the 'I like you' places and thoughts.

"We're going now anyway." Edward said on a breath.

"Not yet, Edward." He said firmly.

"Whatever it is, it can wait Mustang." Edward replied just as firmly.

"No, it can not." His eye stayed fixed on angry golden eyes as he continued. "Al, Miss Rockbell, if you would excuse us for the moment."

"Of course, General." Al's good manners kicked in and he and Winry began walking to the door.

Edward stared hard at Mustang. She did not need this right now. She had no arm, she had an urgent need to talk to Gracia, her brother was here, the office was staring at her, the object of 'I like' was frowning at her and she was frustrated by her own confusions.

"Have I told you I like you?" Ed snarled her usual comment with as much of her anger as she could and then froze. Gasps from somewhere in the office had her frowning. What had she said? She ran the words through her mind and compared them with the words that she had just heard coming from her mouth. She felt herself go cold and she blinked as she suddenly found Mustang very close.

"Not…" Roy had his automatic response ready and half way out when the words she had said registered in his mind. His brain stalled and he saw her face go even whiter. He stepped closer before he knew he was going to move.

"Not today, Edward." His low tone made her shiver and she swallowed. He saw the anger and frustrations and fear, he saw the bravado she was now reaching for and he saw the attraction. He took a shaky breath and then swallowed.

She saw the dark eye gleam and she just knew she was going to be subjected to complete humiliation, embarrassment and all the other unpleasantries she was sure existed and that she couldn't think of because he was so close right now and she had just told him she liked him and he had a smile on his face and she was shivering again and…why did he suddenly look nervous? What did he have to be worried about? She was the one up for death by …

"Have I told you I like you?" He said slowly. Suddenly he could care less about tomorrow. He couldn't remember why tomorrow had even been a problem. There was something he should be thinking of but all he could see was Edward and the stunned look in her eyes as his words fell between them.

Edward had never been this close to fainting at any time in his or her life before.

Roy moved slowly and his hands lifted and came to rest on either side of her face, his fingers slipping into her hair. Every breath seemed to take forever he thought as he stared at her and lowered his head. He couldn't have stopped, even if he had tried. She couldn't have moved, even if she had wanted to. Somewhere she could hear her mind telling her things but she wasn't interested. She couldn't even make the connections necessary for rational thought. She watched him come closer.

* * *

Alphonse Elric had never been this close to fainting at any time in his life before. Winry dragged him out of the room and shut the door abruptly behind them. Al, still seeing the image of his sister and the General an inch away from kissing, turned to an equally stunned office.

"What is going on between my sister and the General?" He demanded.

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the delay. Several things got in my way, but I can see again and it's much easier to type now…lol... so I offer a nice long chapter here and the dragon as well, all updated on the same day, please forgive me.

Thank you so much for all the comments and reviews. I really appreciate them. And knowing you were all waiting patiently kept me sane when I couldn't do anything. Ngiyabonga ka khulu.

silken :)


	25. Confusions Compounded

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 25: Confusions Compounded **

"Al… Edward and Roy… they like each other." Riza Hawkeye said cautiously as they all moved back from the closed door.

"I can see that! I _heard_ that! He wouldn't be about to kiss her if he didn't! How on earth did this happen? When did this happen? Why wasn't I told about this? That's my sister in there!" Al threw his arms up in the air, his mind whirling.

"Al, calm down." Winry held his arm to stop him from flailing it around and Hawkeye came closer to stand in front of him.

"How can I calm down, Winry?" Al stared at her. "Edward? With the General? Do you realise how… how strange that is?"

"Alphonse…"

"No, Hawkeye. I can't believe no one told me about this! _She's my sister!_ She's _kissing_ the General! And they _like_ each other? Did the world end? I just can't believe this."

"Al…" Havoc moved to stand near Riza.

"Jean, what if he hurts her? I remember what he was like. What if Edward gets hurt? I won't let him hurt her," Al stated firmly as he looked wildly around the office.

"Alphonse." Hawkeye said sternly and he looked at her, his face pale and upset. "We're as surprised as you are about … what just happened." She kept her voice even. "Lately we have noticed that they have been becoming friendly, but we didn't expect anything like this to happen yet."

"_Yet?_" Al stared at her. "The General gets friendly with _my sister_ and _you let it happen_?" His voice rose. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Al!" Winry tugged him around. "Edward's capable of handling this. You know how she is."

"It doesn't matter, Winry." Al said and pointed to the closed door. "_She is my sister!_"

"And she has the right to a life of her own, Alphonse." Riza said gently. Al froze. "You're not losing her again, Al." Al shook slightly as Riza walked around and she looked into his eyes with sympathy and understanding.

Al looked at her. "She's all the family I have, Hawkeye. I lost him for four years and I got her back. And I know you and Winry and everyone else are my family too, but …"

"Al, no-one can take Ed from you. No matter how things change, she is always going to be your sister." Riza said.

"Ed wouldn't allow it to change." Winry added.

He looked from one to the other.

"But with the General?" He shook slightly and his voice was still filled with disbelief.

* * *

_I'm male, he's male. I like him, he likes me. I look female, he is male. I like him, he likes me. Al knows, everyone knows. I like him, he likes me. I should stop this. I like him. He's getting closer. He likes me. I should…he's going to …I like him. Why can't I…Why does he…? I like him, he likes me._

Ed couldn't follow the circle her mind was running in as his face came closer. His hands were loose, she could have moved, she could've stepped back.

_I like her, she likes me. She's unpredictable, she's Edward Elric. I like her, she likes me. Everyone knows, who cares now that she knows. I like her, she likes me. She's going to let me kiss her. She likes me. She said the words. I like her. She's not moving away. She likes me. I will …I like her._

And when his lips touched hers she felt…nothing. For two seconds everything froze. Her mind, her heart, her breathing. Was something supposed to happen, she suddenly thought somewhere behind the stasis. People who kissed were supposed to feel sparks and fireworks and things, weren't they? Edward blinked and Roy's mouth shifted slightly and she felt it.

Her bottom lip began to tingle and his lips were warm. Slowly it spread, a warmth that gained weight and speed and her eyelids became heavy. She tried to keep them open but they drooped halfway and her vision became slightly blurred. Her breathing hitched and she found a way to breathe with each waft of warmth that came from him. The warm kept spreading, it bloomed across her chest and it was like being out in the sunlight. She unconsciously leant towards him.

Roy slanted his mouth across hers. Edward's lips were soft and yielding beneath his and when he felt her breathing catch he pressed firmer and his hands shifted deeper into her hair. Her eyes were half closed and hazy and he stopped thinking as he felt her lean closer. He kept his hands gentle at her head as he stepped slightly closer and the distance between them disappeared.

Edward felt the solid warmth of him right in front of her. She tensed, it was all so strange and there was something in her head that kept trying to get her attention. But the feel of being this close, the way his lips seemed to tug at hers, the way the tingling in her lips made her quiver and she found herself settling against him. Her mind and eyes hazy, she was barely aware of lifting her left hand and placing it at the crook of his right elbow.

He deepened the kiss, trailing his mouth around her lips and felt her trembling, her breath against his face uneven. His own breathing became ragged when he felt her lips shift under his, her eyes closed completely and she began to respond.

* * *

Winry stood in front of Al and hugged him, keeping him as calm as he could be at the moment. His hands were clenched at her back as he fought several urges. One to go in there and threaten the General, another to drag Ed out of there and demand explanations and another to go in there and give her a hug. He was still spinning mentally. No matter what anyone said, he needed to hear Edward say it, he needed his sister to tell him, to reassure him, to make the promises she would always keep.

The others watched him as he kept looking towards the closed door and his face would twist slightly. He had once thought of Ed finding someone, like he had Winry. But he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. He certainly hadn't expected it to be General Mustang. And he definitely hadn't expected to feel so upset by it. It was selfish of him and he knew it, but he couldn't help it.

The rest of the office was also in varied states of shock. The usual displays of anger had gone somewhere completely unexpected. They had known Ed would be upset at Mustang's appearance as she was getting her arm looked at, but they hadn't expected her to slip like that. And they hadn't expected Mustang to lose his composure either. Not when both of them had to have been aware of everyone watching them. Not when it meant that both of them had been aware of this attraction for each other for some time but had obviously not said anything.

Hawkeye and Havoc exchanged glances. Everyone had been caught off-guard. Especially Ed and Roy. They both looked at the closed door. Given the suddenness of what had just occurred, neither was prepared to make any guesses as to what was happening in there. Nor any guesses as to what would happen when those two began to think again.

A knock had them turning to see Fuhrer Sterben standing in the doorway, accompanied by what appeared to be a Police Commissioner and a civilian.

* * *

Roy reluctantly pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against hers. Their uneven breathing was the only sound in the office. His fingers were loose in her hair and her hand was still on his arm.

Roy Mustang had kissed Edward Elric, his heart was racing and he was trying to find words, any words. She had kissed him back and he did not know what to say. His mind was still wrapped in the warmth of knowing that he had kissed her. That she hadn't hit him, that she hadn't gone ranting or raving. He wanted to talk to her, he wanted to kiss her again.

Edward Elric had been kissed by Roy Mustang, she could hear her blood pounding in her ears and she didn't know what to do now. She had kissed him back. She had said she liked him and kissed him. In front of everyone…and her brother. Questions and confusions were hovering just outside the warmth she was still wallowing in. 'I like Roy Mustang' had just gotten a whole lot bigger.

He could see her eyes were still closed, the dark gold eyelashes long. The paleness had gone and there was a faint flush across her face. Her lips were parted now and he could hear her breathing. Although he had known, although he had felt her respond, to actually see that she was just as affected by the kiss as he was, was reassuring. But Edward was unpredictable and he didn't know what she would do now.

Edward didn't know what to do. Her mind was starting to break through the haze and she was finding that parts of it were not happy. Forget confusion, some parts of her were tending towards the horrified side of the feeling spectrum. Male Edward was running around hysterically and she was watching him from the 'but I like him' places.

She wished he would say something, she half wished he would kiss her again so she could get rid of the thoughts for a little bit longer.

Why was it uncomfortable now, she wondered. Once you had admitted to liking each other, surely that made things a little less confused? Why was that not happening? She had said the words out loud and so had he and then he had kissed her. Did he know what to do next? He had to. Someone had to, and he was the most likely one who would. But was asking him something you did at a moment like this? She didn't want to ask him, that would let him know she was completely clueless but she didn't really want to ask anyone else either.

His hands were cupping the back of her head and she could feel his breath against her face. It didn't feel too even. If she opened her eyes, she was going to see him. Was he as affected by this kiss as she was? Would she be able to tell? If she opened her eyes.

Edward opened her eyes slowly. She had a brief glimpse of a single dark eye, slightly hazy and nervous before the office door opened and they heard someone cough. They looked towards the door.

* * *

Fuhrer Michael Sterben had seen many things in his military service. He had survived Ishbal, he was surviving peace. He had stared down Generals who had wanted glory for glory's sake, he had faced recruits and offered them chances for a future. He had found out the power that goes with being Fuhrer and he had discovered the limitations that come with such power.

He had found a Roy Mustang, broken somewhere inside but still worth something. Worth more than being left to rot in his little self-imposed exile. Mustang had ignored all overtures, he had merely done as ordered with no enthusiasm, no interest, no life.

He had seen a Roy Mustang, angry and taunting a blonde and he had taken the opportunity with barely a second thought. And it had worked. She had done what no-one else had. She had brought him out and Sterben could not be happier.

He had seen Edward as a means to an end, but it hadn't taken long for him to realise that you couldn't use an unwilling Edward. She had to be willing or you would regret it. His respect for Roy Mustang rose as he heard the gossip surge and swirl around them. To have survived those first four years and been able to ostensibly keep control of Edward Elric had been nothing short of miraculous. To have her returned so changed and still be able to work together as they did, was just what Sterben needed to know.

He had become aware of Mustang's and then Edward's awareness of each other. He had also realised that given their history and characters, it would take time for anything to actually develop. He was planning a bet of his own. It would be nice to actually start a rumour for once instead of being one of the last to know.

When the Police Commissioner and Councilman Kinase had come to his office with their requests he had taken the chance offered and rather than send for Mustang and Elric, he had decided to escape his office and go to them. Finding that Lieutenant-Colonel Elric was already at Mustang's office made things easier for him.

Fuhrer Michael Sterben had opened many doors and seen some strange things. He had caught officers in compromising positions before. He had never thought to catch these two.

His Lieutenant-General had his hands in his Lieutenant-Colonel's hair and they were both looking extremely dazed. The Lieutenant-Colonel's shirt was undone and for some reason she only had one arm. The Lieutenant-General was more presentable but his blank face suggested his mind was as rumpled as the Lieutenant-Colonel appeared.

It was too late to start that bet now.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant-General, Lieutenant-Colonel." The Fuhrer said smoothly.

"Afternoon, Sir." Mustang responded automatically, pulling his hands out of Edward's hair and saluting.

"Forgive the interruption," the Fuhrer said in a voice that didn't sound particularly sorry. They blinked at him and he saw awareness slowly come back to them. They moved apart slightly, turning to face the intruders. Neither looked particularly pleased and both were doing well to hide it. Edward's lips were moving slightly but he couldn't hear what she was saying. The way her hand was fisted at her side told him she was trying very hard to keep her temper under control.

Roy Mustang had never been this close to Edward Elric in a situation not to her liking and he wondered at first where the muttered curses were coming from.

"…king great, have to open my big fat mouth and I get Roy Mustang kissing me and then I kiss back, what were you thinking of there, you stupid moron? And now everyone's here, including my brother, oh fuck how do I explain this one, 'sorry Al, your brother likes Roy Mustang', bit late for that now, Ed isn't it? Not only Al, but everybody. My life just gets fucking better and brighter each damned day! Smirking stupid bastard, if I didn't like you none of this would have happened. Damn, damn. Fucking shit, I want out of here and I want out now, dammit." _Breathe, salute_. "Good afternoon Sir." _Breathe_. "Damn, damn, this is the worst day ever, it has to be…"

Roy listened as Edward's monologue kept coming and it was getting progressively louder as she carried on. He had seen her do this before but he had never actually heard it. Usually the words were inaudible as she would wave her arms and walk around and let it build before turning on him, ready to let fly.

"…and why is there a fucking policeman with him?" came out clearly in the middle of the uncomfortable silence. Everyone blinked and Edward stopped suddenly and just knew she'd done it again. Her face began to go red. Roy closed his eye and bit down hard on his tongue before opening it again. He felt sure his face was also turning pink.

"He came to see you, Edward." The Fuhrer said calmly, and no-one knew how hard he struggled to make sure he did sound unruffled and completely in control. "That's why he's with me." He was keeping his face as bland as he could. He had seen her outspokenness before. It didn't worry him too much and although he could have wished for a more diplomatic approach right now, he was aware that she was obviously in a rather distressed frame of mind at the moment.

"I'm afraid you caught us unawares, Sir." Roy said quickly before Edward could say anything further.

"Yes, so now that we are all…aware, perhaps we can continue?"

"Certainly Sir." Mustang said. He looked at the doorway. Everyone was there watching with great interest. "Havoc, some chairs if you please." He said as he stared hard at them all and they all nodded and moved away from the door. He could hear them bustling around and very shortly they filed in with chairs and then filed out extremely quickly. Al tried to catch Edward's eye but she avoided him and when the door closed, she moved to pick her jacket up and sling it around her shoulders.

Roy stared at her and suddenly realised she only had one arm. His eye widened and several things fell into place. No wonder she had been upset when he had entered. It also explained why she had been so pale and it probably explained why she wasn't meeting his or anyone's eyes at the moment.

The Fuhrer walked around to sit in Mustang's chair and the Commissioner and civilian moved to the chairs in front of the desk. Roy stood to one side. He looked at Edward who had moved back beside him. He wondered what she was thinking about. He was rather surprised she hadn't gone storming out. He could see she was tense and wondered if she was fighting the urge to leave. He knew he was. All he wanted was to leave here with Edward and find somewhere so they could talk and he could kiss her again. He hoped that whatever had brought the Fuhrer here would be over and done with quickly. Giving Edward too long to think in her current state was not a wise thing.

"Well, that was a bit of a surprise." The man in the suit said as he sat down and they stared at him.

"Maybe you should knock next time." Edward retorted before anyone could react.

"We did." Brown eyes met her golden ones. She didn't back down.

"Louder. And make an appointment."

"But then it wouldn't have been a surprise for either of us." He smiled at her and her eyes narrowed.

"You're an asshole, aren't you." She felt Mustang go rigid beside her and saw the brown eyes twinkle.

"An incorrigible one." His eyes scanned her quickly from head to foot. "You don't look like the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You're not that stupid either." She snapped back.

He laughed. "I'm going to enjoy having dinner with you tomorrow after all." He said with a grin.

"What dinner?" She asked in a cold voice and her eyes went hard.

"A civic function. Usually a boring affair, but with you there…"

"I won't be there." Edward said firmly. He smiled at her, unperturbed by her refusal.

"You would decline my invitation?"

"I just did."

"That's hardly fair when you don't know what I am inviting you to, or even who I am."

Edward shrugged. "And I really don't care to know who you are, nor your invitation. As far as I'm concerned you can take that invitation and shove it up your fucking ass."

"Edward." The Fuhrer was just a bit slow in calling her attention to him and she felt Roy's upper arm against her left shoulder. She was unsettled and rattled and his touch reminded her of just where she was. She took a deep breath and tried to rein in her temper.

"Sir?" She met his pale eyes and he could see no apology for her comments in her face. She was not particularly happy and she wasn't being backwards in letting them know that. She was resenting their presence here. He looked at Mustang who was recovering faster than she was, but still appeared a little unbalanced around the edges.

"Councilman Kinase and Police Commissioner Linert have approached me with a couple of propositions which I feel you both should be involved in." He kept his voice even. They looked at him and he felt they were struggling to find an interest in what he was saying. He was very tempted to send them away to finish whatever they had started and then to return with their wits around them again. As sensible as it sounded, he had a feeling that it would backfire, and he had never been one for taking the most sensible course. He wouldn't be in this position if he had. "Commissioner?"

The Police Commissioner was the oldest person there. He didn't seem put out by anything that had transpired and Ed felt that perhaps the man had just seen too much to be surprised by anything now. His gaze had been calculating as he had looked at her. He would be the type that would want to ask the questions she didn't want to answer.

"The reason for my visit is to clear up any misunderstandings from the incident the other night."

"I thought that was all settled." Edward remarked, her eyebrow raising and managing to keep her tone civil.

"Yes Lieutenant-Colonel, it is. But it raised several concerns amongst my senior officers. As we all know, the watches are used to identify and verify State Alchemists and I am well aware that the State monitors their use closely. We were unaware of your return and… changed circumstances, so when you appeared with a watch we had no choice but to detain you."

"We never felt it necessary to advertise the fact of the Lieutenant-Colonel's return, Commissioner. Edward has never been one to want such recognition." The Fuhrer stated and Roy nodded as Edward looked from one to the other.

"But something needs to be said somewhere." The Commissioner said. "To avoid this occurring again. Even if all we had known was that there was now a female State Alchemist, it never would have happened. I believe we need to look at some form of notification of State Alchemists being given us."

"By 'us', you are referring to the Police Department?" Mustang queried.

"Yes." He nodded as he replied. "We used to work a lot closer with the Military in past years. I think we should look to re-establish those ties."

"I agree." Mustang said.

"Then I leave it in your hands, Mustang." The Fuhrer said and both men turned to him. "As I mentioned earlier to the Commissioner, you are head of the State Alchemy Division. Once you have agreed on guidelines or an agreement, let me know and we can ratify it."

Mustang's eye flickered slightly but he turned back to the Commissioner. "I will get my staff to organise a time for us to discuss this." He said and hoped that this had been the reason why they had come to his office and now that it was all organised, they would leave and let him be alone with Edward again.

She hadn't moved and he could feel the warmth of their single point of contact. He felt his own control to be fairly tenuous at the moment. He was feeling cheated that the afterglow of their first kiss had been interrupted before it had even really begun. He had barely seen her eyes open before the door had opened. He hadn't had a chance to see what she had been feeling or thinking and he wanted to know. He had always enjoyed those moments and this one had been more nerve-wracking than any he had felt before. He needed to know how she felt.

"My secretary will be expecting your call." The Commissioner replied with an acknowledging nod. He stood up. "I know there are other matters for you to discuss, but I must return."

The Fuhrer nodded and stood up to shake his hand. "Thank you, Commissioner. I'm sure matters will be settled satisfactorily for us all."

The Commissioner shook hands all round and briefly smiled as he changed hands to shake Edward's left hand. As he left Ed caught a brief glimpse of Al staring hard through the door and sighed. She was in so much trouble and Al was going to kill her as soon as she left this room, she just knew it.

"So all that is left is to persuade the Lieutenant-Colonel to accompany us to the function tomorrow night." The Councillor said as he leant back in his chair after the door had closed again.

"I have already declined." Edward said firmly. She unconsciously leant slightly against Mustang. She stared at the man. He was about the same age as the Fuhrer, brown hair and eyes. His manner was disconcerting. She didn't need this sort of thing right now. She needed to get out of here and find some thinking space.

"And I am not accepting it." He replied with a grin.

"I have other plans."

"They can be changed."

"No, they can not."

"Everything can be changed, postponed or cancelled."

"Listen asshole, I've already told you what you can do with your invitation." Roy was suddenly grateful Edward only had one arm as her anger became apparent. He had visions of her clapping and the man finding himself impaled somewhere.

"The Lieutenant-Colonel has made her wishes clear, Councillor. I believe you should cease to harass her." Roy said firmly. He heard her faint sigh and wondered if he had done the wrong or right thing by interfering. But he was getting tired of the Councillor's persistence and Edward was going to dinner with him tomorrow night, not to some civic function with a persistent asshole, even if he was on the Council.

"The Lieutenant-General has a point, Eric. If Edward does not wish to attend, she does not have to." The Fuhrer spoke up.

"But it would have made the evening more interesting." He sighed almost theatrically and then his eyes sharpened. "You will have to do something though, Michael. Once the rest of the Council finds out, they are going to want to see her." Mustang felt Edward stiffen and he reached slightly with his hand and wrapped it around her clenching left fist. The Councillor's voice had dropped his light manner and he had become suddenly serious.

"I am aware of that, Eric. But I will not force anyone to be subjected to that sort of scrutiny unwillingly."

Edward nearly broke out into hysterical laughter. It was just as well Riza hadn't heard that. She had had no compunction in dragging Edward around and displaying her to all and sundry that day. Mustang's fingers tightened around her hand and she knew he was thinking the same thing. Feeling his hand there had to be the most surreal feeling right now. After everything that had just happened, his touch was probably the only thing keeping her from thinking this was one dreadful nightmare. How did something as simple as getting kissed...okay, so maybe getting kissed hadn't been _that_ simple, but she hadn't had an opportunity to think about it yet… so how had it gone from one …problem to a whole mess of them so fast?

She had never had to control her temper so hard for so long before either. It was simmering behind her clenched hand, mixing in with all the confusions and questions and feelings she just did not dare think about right now. Probably it was just as well she only had one arm right now. Although she had some chalk in her trouser pocket if things became really desperate.

They were still arguing. They obviously knew each other well, she thought. She sighed. It was all so damned pointless. She wasn't going, they couldn't make her, her brother was outside waiting and probably in shock still, the cause of all this was holding her hand and she wanted to hit something very, very hard.

"…be going now." She finished her thought out loud and they all stared at her. Her eyes flickered. She sighed, she'd done it again, hadn't she. There was something seriously wrong with her brain/mouth co-ordination today. She really did need to get out of here. "If you will excuse me, I don't think I'm needed here for anything further."

"You are merely postponing the inevitable, Lieutenant-Colonel." The Councillor remarked.

"I don't mind postponing unimportant matters like that, Sir." She replied blandly.

"Very well then." He said. "The Lieutenant-General and I can commiserate each other on your absence." He added with a return to his earlier theatrical manner.

Edward froze and felt Mustang twitch beside her, his hand tensing around hers.

"I wasn't aware of my presence being required at this event, Councillor." He said in a tightly controlled voice.

"We hadn't got that far, Mustang." The Fuhrer said before sending a stern glance to Kinase. "Enough, Eric."

"Very well, Michael." He said with a loud sigh and then grinned before settling back.

"As you can tell, I have known the Councillor for far too long and he has several bad habits I have been unable to get him to control." The Fuhrer said calmly before turning to Roy. "Mustang, tomorrow's function is basically an exercise in fostering and keeping the good relations we have with the local authorities. But given that you mentioned bringing alchemists back into serving here in Central, we thought it would be beneficial if you were present. As you are the head of the Alchemy Department now, you would be the best one to represent us in this matter." He looked at Mustang and saw him frowning. His head had turned slightly to stare at Edward. He took a deep breath before turning back to face the Fuhrer.

"I am already booked for tomorrow night, Sir." Roy said and felt Edward's fist loosen slightly. "I'm sorry, Sir, I won't be able to make it."

Fuhrer Sterben was not stupid and when he saw the expression of relief that flashed across Edward's face he understood. He looked back at Mustang and if there was an edge of regret in his voice, only the Councillor recognised it.

"I am sorry too. I had not wanted to make it an order, Lieutenant-General." His pale eyes flicked from Mustang to Edward and back again.

Edward could feel Mustang's hand tightening further around hers and she frowned slightly. It took a brief moment and she found herself speaking.

"The Lieutenant-General and I will attend."

* * *

"How much longer?" Al asked as he paced the room again. His hair was tangled in all ways and it was further mistreated as he ran his hand through it again. "What the hell are they doing in there?"

The longer the door stayed close, the more agitated he got. He wanted to see Edward, he wanted to know what was going on and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Winry had started working on Edward's arm and Fuery had sidled over to watch. After fifteen minutes of watching, he had started asking questions. Diagrams and schematics were scribbled as they kept on talking.

Hawkeye and Havoc kept an eye on Al as he became more and more agitated. He kept walking around the room and chewing at his thumbnail when he wasn't pulling at his hair. They didn't know why it was taking so long either. Once the Police Commissioner had left, they had thought the others would leave soon after, but they hadn't.

There were certain guidelines for relationships in the military, and getting caught by the Fuhrer was not one of them. Most of the guidelines dealt with matters of rank, living arrangements and duty and operational placements. Havoc and Hawkeye had the same rank and it had never been an issue between them even before Havoc had received his promotion. The military provided single quarters and the occasional shared dorm in the complex, but not rooms for couples, so Havoc and Hawkeye had found their own apartment from one of the State owned apartments available for military couples. No-one had dared suggesting they be placed in different offices. The Ice General allowed no-one to touch his staff.

But the Councillor was still in there with them. They didn't think the Fuhrer would reprimand them or even say anything with a civilian present. And they knew both Edward and Roy would not discuss whatever was happening between them. They doubted if they would even talk about it with each other at this stage.

Al paced past them again. As soon as he could he was going to kill his sister and then demand some answers. In all their phone calls she had never even hinted at anything like this. She had been the same as she always was. He didn't understand why she hadn't told him. They had no secrets, they had always shared everything. So maybe being apart meant they didn't know everything like they used to, but that was the small stuff. Not something big like this. His sister and the General. Edward and Mustang. It was hard to imagine it. Edward had barely tolerated the man as he had grown up. Al had lost count of the times he had heard Edward declare undying hatred for the Colonel.

Even though he could still picture them standing there, even though he had heard every word they had said, he still couldn't believe it. It didn't seem possible for his sister, for Edward, to feel like that, not for Mustang, not for the General. He didn't know how everyone else could just sit here so calm and collected. He didn't care if they had known more about it than he had, surely they could see how strange and completely unbelievable this whole thing was. Even stranger was hearing the General saying he liked her. It was just not real, it couldn't be.

Even Winry seemed to be more accepting of it than he was. How she could sit there and fiddle with Ed's automail and not be pacing with him confused him. He would have thought her to be as every bit upset with it as he was. Why was he the only one having a problem with this?

The door opened and his head came up. The Fuhrer and the Councilman came out, closing the door behind them. The councilman had a slight smile on his face but the Fuhrer was his usual bland self. They nodded and saluted and left the office. The minute they left, every eye turned back to the closed door and Al strode over to it. He reached his hand out to the handle and paused. His hand shook.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that, Edward." Roy said as the door closed behind the Fuhrer. They were standing looking at the closed door. No longer so close, no longer holding hands and Roy turned to look at her.

"I know." She replied absently, a frown developing and her eyes still staring at the closed door. "There wasn't much choice." She added as she tried not to lose herself in the maelstrom of questions her mind was starting to bombard her with. She hadn't quite figured out all the reasons for agreeing to tomorrow night. She was still feeling a bit surprised at herself for having spoken up.

She was correct, Roy thought. There really hadn't been a choice. Not against a direct order. To have kept on refusing would have made a mockery of all his determination to involve himself. He remembered what Sterben had asked him at lunch that day. He hadn't expected to have his reply challenged so soon, or on such a matter. At least she had included herself in the acceptance. He looked at her profile. She had been so adamant about not going and then had changed her mind. She could have let him go on his own and gone to Gracia's instead, she didn't have to go with him. Gracia's words came back to him.

"You weren't going to go to Gracia's tomorrow night, were you?" He asked suddenly.

He had a brief glimpse of golden eyes as she looked sideways at him before staring at the door again. "No." She sounded a bit surprised at his question. "I…you…we had dinner planned. I wouldn't have gone back on my word." She added almost self-consciously.

"Gracia lied to me." He muttered and she turned to face him, not quite catching his words before shrugging and then turning away. She pulled her jacket closer around her shoulders and took a step towards the door.

"Edward." He said firmly and she paused. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

Her frown deepened. "I don't know." She said abruptly and took another step to the door.

"Edward." He said again and she stopped. Her hand fisted slowly. She didn't want to stay here, she wanted to get out. They were all gone, she could go too. Al was waiting, she needed to find some space to think in, she still had a need to talk to Gracia, she wanted her arm back. She blinked. He hadn't mentioned it at all. He had to have noticed it. It wasn't something you could hide, the flapping jacket sleeve was a dead giveaway.

He walked around and stood between her and the door. She swallowed and looked at his chin. Her eyes flickered up slightly to his mouth. She remembered the feel of it, the warmth that came from him.

"Edward." She watched his lips move as they formed her name in that damned soft voice. She didn't want to hear soft voiced Roy Mustang right now. She wanted out, she needed to think, she needed to get some balance. "We will get to have dinner, just the two of us."

"Fine." She said curtly, stepping to the side to walk past him. Not now Mustang, just let me get out of here.

Roy frowned. Any softness Edward had demonstrated earlier had disappeared. She was frowning and tense. Was she regretting what had happened? He wasn't going to let her leave if that as the case. He had no regrets, he didn't see why she would have any either. He stepped in front of her again and put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head. She wouldn't look at him.

"I don't regret what happened, Edward." He said sincerely and her eyes suddenly fixed on his. He couldn't decipher everything he saw there.

"That's reassuring." She said without thinking.

"And I mean it, Edward. I will never regret kissing you." He said and saw her eyes widen as her face flushed.

"Even though everyone saw? _My brother_ is out there. The whole damned office knows, not to mention the Fuhrer. I feel so much better knowing you have no regrets." There was sarcasm laced thickly through the last words.

"What we have here is none of their concern, Edward."

"What we have? _What we have?_" Edward's voice rose. "What do we have, Mustang? And how can it be of no concern to them? They saw…_my brother_ _saw_." The golden eyes stared hard at him. "How do I explain this to him? Somehow I don't think having seen his brother … seeing _that_ is not something he's going to be happy about!"

"Edward…" Roy tried to interrupt her.

"No, right now I can't think with you here. I don't want to be here. I can't believe I kissed you." Edward pulled her head from his fingers and stepped away from him. She ran her hand through her hair. "I can't believe _we_… I can't believe I said I liked you."

Roy reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders as she started to walk to the door again. She looked up at him to protest and he stared right back at her.

"If there is one thing you can believe, it is this. Edward Elric, I like you and I am not about to let you forget it. I will pick you up tomorrow night and we will attend this function _together_."

She blinked at the emphasis he placed on the last word. His hands were firm at her shoulders and his eye was determined. She had known him a long time. She had never heard him speak with such purpose and depth. It was impossible to doubt him, but she thought she could try. He leant forward and barely touched her lips with his. They both felt the shiver she couldn't control.

"Your brother is waiting for you." He said calmly and she pulled out of his suddenly loose grip. He watched as she pulled open the door and slammed it hard behind her. Roy walked to his chair and fell into it. He let his breath out and he smiled. He had kissed Edward Elric and all the other thoughts that weren't connected with remembering exactly what that had felt like could take a flying leap somewhere. He would worry about them later.

Later came ten minutes after Edward had left, when Riza Hawkeye entered his office.

* * *

Edward slammed the door and found the office staring at her. A whole string of mental curses went streaming through her head and stopped the second Al stood right in front of her.

"Sister." His voice was low and it was full of everything he had been trying to control for what felt like hours.

"Al." She replied carefully, trying to keep from letting any of the turmoil starting to bubble up get free. He was tense and she could see he had nothing but questions. She didn't know if she had any answers that would make sense. This was one of those moments when she wished they could go and spar. But Al needed more than that. He wanted words. She breathed in and let it out slowly. "My room."

"No breaking anything, Ed." Winry said and Ed looked at her. Winry knew them too well. They had always talked better after trying to beat each other up. Ed's eyes narrowed. Winry was taking this all very calmly and it seemed unnatural.

"Get my arm done," Ed replied and Winry looked at her. They stared at each other for a moment. Ed wasn't sure what Winry saw but she could see the concern and knew they were seeing Roy Mustang in two completely different ways. Ed understood the calmness now. Later they would talk, but not yet, not here. Winry had always been empathetic when it came to Edward. For all the love she had for Al, there was a part of her that had always understood Edward. They hid it beneath loud displays and violent outbursts but it had always been there. In their mutual desire to protect Al, in Winry's determination to make Ed the best automail and in Ed's recognition that Winry had scars that she had overcome.

"Get out of here." Winry said and went back to working on the arm. Ed scowled but she and Al turned and found Hawkeye staring at them.

"Edward…"

"Not now, Riza." Ed said, having to take another breath. "Later." Much later, she thought as she finally managed to get away from their eyes. Al paced beside her, his thoughts whirling just as much as Ed's were.

It seemed a long way to the dormitory and the moment the dormitory door closed behind them, Al started.

"How could you, Sister?" He asked in disbelief. "With the General as well?"

"Al, it's not something I meant to happen." Edward said placatingly.

"You kissed him! How could you not mean for that to happen?"

"I didn't plan for _any_ of this, Al!" Ed protested. "I didn't mean to say… what I did. I didn't know what would happen."

Al circled the small room. "You said you liked him! Do you know how wrong that sounds?"

"I didn't mean to say it!" Ed repeated.

"You always hated him! You couldn't stand him. How did it all change? Why didn't you tell me?" He stood in front of her and stared at her. "Ed, you're my sister. We've never kept secrets from each other before."

"Al," Ed sighed. "There are no secrets between us."

"You didn't tell me about this." He accused her.

"And how do you suppose I should have told you, Al?" Ed began to glare at her brother. "Call you for advice? 'Hi Al, I like Roy Mustang and I need some help.' Or perhaps 'Oh by the way, did I forget to tell you that I'm attracted to Roy Mustang?' Which one of those would you have preferred?"

"At least I would've known something, Ed!"

"Al, I haven't figured out any of this for myself yet, how am I supposed to tell you what I don't know?"

"You knew enough to let him kiss you!"

Ed threw her hand up and tugged at her hair. "I didn't know that would happen!" Ed's voice rose.

"It was obvious, Sis! The minute he… gah!" Al exclaimed and paced in a circle and then came back to stand in front of her. "You tell someone you like them, of course you're going to get kissed."

"How was I to know that?" Ed snapped back. "It's not like you can get any information on this."

"You looked?" Al's voice went high.

"Of course I looked!" Ed retorted.

"Edward, not everything is in a book." Al said carefully.

"I know that, Al. I'm not a complete idiot!"

"It sounds like you came close, Sis."

"Shut up, Alphonse. This is no time to be facetious." Ed glowered at him.

"I don't have many options here, Sis. You don't tell me you like him, you don't tell me anything. When were you going to tell me? Before the wedding?"

Ed rolled her eyes. "Of course I would have told you before you got married. And I was going to tell you tomorrow." She paused, not sure whether to mention the dinner that was no longer going to take place.

"Have you even gone a date yet?" Al asked, blinking as Edward completely missed his sarcastic comment. Her eyes flickered as she shook her head.

"No."

"But?" Al asked. He knew she was not telling him something. "Sister, tell me."

Ed sighed. "We have a dinner tomorrow night."

Al's eyes narrowed. "A date dinner?" He asked intently.

"No, some stupid civic function dinner thing." Ed replied reluctantly.

"Don't you want to go?" Al asked, puzzled.

"No."

"Then why are you going?" He queried reasonably.

"Because Mustang has to go." Ed said and Al stared at her.

"You're going just because the General is?" His eyes went wide.

"Not exactly." She fidgeted.

"Edward, just tell me. I'm your brother. We can talk about anything." Al coaxed, wondering at Ed's reticence. Once she had started talking, it was usually very hard to shut her up. This unwillingness to share made Al realise that this was affecting Ed deeply. It was always the important things she had never been able to talk about easily.

Edward looked at the papers on the small desk and wondered what to tell Al. She had wanted to talk to someone for the last two days but she had planned to be talking to Gracia, not Al. She had always shared everything with him and even when she had withheld things from him, she had never been able not to tell him at some point. She just hadn't expected to be talking about this with him yet. She had thought she would've had a day to prepare for this. She let her breath out.

"I don't know why I'm going, okay Al?" She said, frowning at herself. "The Fuhrer was going to make it an order and Mustang was probably going to refuse, so I said we'd both go."

Al tilted his head. There was more information to be had and Edward wasn't sharing. Pushing would make her refuse to say anymore. He thought about it for a moment and then walked over to the couch and sat down.

"The General was going to help at Mrs Hughes' tomorrow." He said and saw Ed twitch before she turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

"Jean was saying it when we first arrived. That we were all going to help set up the things for Elysia tomorrow night." He blinked. "But you won't be able to help now, Sis."

"I'd already told Gracia I couldn't help," she muttered as her hand tightened on the desk, her thoughts whirling. He had been going to go there and he hadn't said anything? What about their dinner? Had he been going to cancel it? Her eyes narrowed. He'd been frowning when he'd burst into his office before they'd …before. And he had asked her about her going to Gracia's afterwards. She frowned. It had sounded like he had thought she was backing out. So why did Al say that he had been going there?

"You weren't coming?" Al asked in surprise.

"No, I already had plans." She replied absently as she tried to figure out what had happened. "Havoc said Mustang was going to be at Gracia's, Al?" She asked and stared intently at him.

"Yes, the General had just left to go to the hospital to talk to Mrs Hughes about it when we arrived. Havoc said he was in a hurry." Al stared at his sister, she had that expression she always got when trying to solve a puzzle. "What sort of plans, Sis?" he asked casually, knowing she was distracted enough.

"Dinner with Mustang." She waved her hand in a careless gesture as she spoke. Mustang had gone to the hospital and then come back to frown at her. Why would he frown at her if he was the one going to…unless he thought she was going to cancel…which would explain his question but Gracia knew she wasn't going to be there, so where had he gotten that idea from? Unless, but that would mean that Gracia…no, that wasn't…

"You were going to go to dinner with Mustang?" Al's startled voice broke through and she blinked. He was staring at her with wide eyes and she blinked again.

"How…?" She began to mentally backtrack. "Dammit Al! Don't do that!"

"How else am I supposed to find out, Sis?" He asked her with a brief smile. "So that's why you were going to tell me tomorrow. You had a date organised."

Ed flushed and looked away. "It was dinner."

"But not a dinner like the other one you told me about?" Al queried.

"No." Ed answered without looking at him. She sighed. "I don't think it would have been the same and don't ask me in what way, Al. I don't know, okay?"

Al stood up and walked to stand in front of Ed.

"Sis, are you ok?" He asked gently. She looked up to meet his eyes. She smiled at him.

"I'm fine, Al. It's just a bit confusing." She said and he could hear a tiredness edging her words.

"Have you been sleeping much?" He asked and looked hard at her. She took a breath in and then let it out without saying anything. "Edward?"

"Don't start this, Al." She watched his eyes narrow.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you? What about eating? Are you eating properly? You haven't been skipping meals again?"

"Al, stop it." She put her hand on his arm. "I have Terlat to make sure I have lunch, I eat every morning, I get to spar a couple of times a week and we usually end up in the mess hall afterwards. There's nothing to worry about."

"But you're not sleeping, Sis."

"As I said, it's a bit confusing. It's just a lot to try and figure out at the moment." She saw the accusation in his eyes. "I'd like to see you try and figure this one out without missing a little bit of sleep." She groused at him.

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked, wondering if he could get Hawkeye to find a way to ensure Ed got some sleep.

"Do about it? How the hell should I know? I don't even know how I got into it!" Ed paced the room. She tugged at her tail and the tie gave way. She looked at the broken tie in her hand. "I don't know why I like him and I sure as hell don't know why he likes me. I don't know how to stop it, I don't even know if I want to stop it."

Al stepped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Sis." He said quietly. Ed was definitely confused. Twice she had not followed his meanings and she had always known exactly what he meant before.

"What for, Al? It's not your problem." Ed said, muffled against his shoulder, her one arm hugging him back. Al felt her awkward hug and knew that no matter what happened, Edward was his sister and they would never lose that.

When she had returned to Central, he had felt left behind. And even though they had spoken on the phone regularly and Ed had always answered every question, he had still felt left out. To come here and find out what she had _not_ been telling him had made him feel insecure and lost again. He had felt jealous, he had felt replaced and not needed.

But she hadn't left him behind. She hadn't replaced or forgotten him. She was confused and it was to him she was sharing it with. Al knew how hard it was for Ed to talk sometimes and he wondered if she had had anyone to really talk to here. It was something he would fix before he went back.

"You're my sister, of course it's my problem."

* * *

Roy Mustang's smile disappeared when Riza Hawkeye entered his office and closed the door behind her.

"Major."

"Roy." She replied and she stepped across to stand right in front of his desk. She stared at him and he put on his blandest expression. He knew it wouldn't deter her, but he did not intend to answer all her questions. He knew Riza would be concerned for both himself and Edward, but what was happening between them was not something he wanted to discuss, even with her.

"Alphonse is most upset." She said and he nodded.

"He probably needs some time to think." He said calmly. He saw the fleeting frown that crossed her face.

"The rest of us are concerned as well."

"I'm sure Edward is more than capable of taking care of Al. I don't think you need be concerned." He replied and watched her eyes narrow.

"It's not only Alphonse that concerns us, Roy." She said, her voice hardening. She knew he was being deliberately obtuse and it was not something she intended to let him get away with. She rarely confronted him like this and her success rate was poor. It was as if he stored up all his resolve for these occasions and let her win the smaller office disputes as a consolation prize. The last time had been four years ago when she had tried to draw him out.

"There is someone else?" His eyebrow rose above a small smirk.

"Roy." She said firmly. "We are concerned about you and Edward." She said bluntly.

He stopped himself from showing his surprise. She wasn't normally this abrupt. Obviously they had been more shocked than he had supposed. He had thought they were aware of what was going on, he had overheard their talk that morning. He wished again that he had heard the full conversation. Maybe they hadn't known everything after all. But Riza had known. He had seen the exchanged looks with Gracia. He frowned. He was going to have to say something to her. She had lied to him. It had been something Maes might have done, not his wife. God, Maes would be laughing so hard at him right now.

"Roy?" Riza asked as he didn't reply. He blinked and looked at her. He smiled slightly.

"There is nothing for you to be concerned about, Riza." He said quietly and she saw the stubborn glint in his eye.

"And the Fuhrer?" She queried.

"Does not appear to share your concerns." Roy replied smoothly.

"That is not an acceptable answer, Roy." She said sharply and took a deep breath. "What happened earlier…"

"Is not open for discussion, Riza." Roy stated firmly. "While I do appreciate what you are trying to say, the subject is closed."

"We worry about you, Roy. We worry about you both." She said in a gentler tone. He sighed and met her gaze.

"I know." And he did know and he finally accepted that they had always worried about him. They had been with him through everything. But for once, just this once, he wanted something that was completely his. The promises, the mistakes, the potential, whatever it became. He needed it to be all his. He didn't want their worry, he just wanted to know they were there without their encroaching into this whole new place he had come to.

"Riza, thank you, but …" he paused as he looked at her. He had to be honest, or as honest as he would let himself be with her at this moment. "…but this is something I have to do on my own."

It was her turn to sigh. She felt the honesty in his words and it was the one thing that stopped her questioning further. When he was being honest, he had a power she had never been able to deny. It gave him a depth and a strength she was unable to refuse. It had always been that way, for all of them. He had been honest with them about his intentions all those years ago and they had sworn to follow him because they had recognised the worth in him.

Whether it was whatever had occurred behind that closed door earlier or whether it had been building along with his attraction to Edward, she didn't know, but something had brought his honesty back. He was becoming all he had been and more, she thought. The strength he had hidden behind his lazy façade was appearing more often. She wondered if he realised just how much he was changing.

"Very well, Sir." She said formally and they both nodded. She turned and headed to the door. She turned just before she opened it. "But if you do anything that hurts Edward, I will let Alphonse have whatever's left after I am finished with you."

* * *

Edward sat on the couch staring at the wall. Al was calmer. He was making coffee in the small kitchenette. She let her breath out.

Roy Mustang had kissed her. She had kissed him back. She had told him she liked him. He had said the same. He didn't regret it. Did she? She wasn't sure. The problem was that half of her mind was bouncing in the warmth of remembering exactly how it had felt and just falling deeper into those 'I like Roy Mustang' places. But the other half was confused. Severely confused. Mustang had ignored her arm, her gender, everyone watching and spoken those words.

"_Have I told you I like you?"_ He had said. He had stared right at her. He hadn't been teasing or playing one of their usual games. He hadn't even been trying to help her avoid a potential catastrophe as he had that day in the mess. He had even looked nervous. She had never been as stunned as when she had realised what he had said. It had to have been that shock that had kept her frozen and unable to move away. She tried to find a reason, any reason, other than the 'I like Roy Mustang and oh gods, he's going to kiss me' reason she had had at the time. It wasn't even a proper reason. Like everything else lately, it had been a feeling. One of the many that kept getting between her and anything resembling logical thought processes.

"_Edward Elric, I like you and I am not about to let you forget it." _He had said that at the end. He had been determined and firm. And he had ignored everything else again. Was it that easy for him, she wondered. Had he simplified it down to that single statement? How had he done that? Why did she keep getting caught on the same questions and circling thoughts? What was he doing that she wasn't? She couldn't even see if it was related to her gender confusion any more. With two simple sentences he had ignored every confused thought she had had. He hadn't dismissed them as irrelevant or silly, he hadn't mentioned them at all. As if they didn't exist. As if it really was as simple as 'I like you.'

"I don't remember ever seeing these before, Sis." Al's voice broke into her thoughts and she turned dazed eyes towards him.

"Huh?"

"These calculations of Dad's." He said as he looked at the book and notes on the desk.

"I found them the other day." Ed replied. "It was just something to work on."

"This book looks like it came from the Library."

"It did."

"Edward! You didn't steal it?" Al stared at her.

"Yep."

"What if someone finds out?" He spluttered at her. "No wonder you have a babysitter."

"I had an accomplice, Al." She smirked slightly. "And Terlat's more of an assistant than a babysitter."

Al walked to the couch and sat down, handing her the coffee as he did. He sat next to her and relaxed. He wasn't completely satisfied and he had questions, lots of questions, and he knew she wouldn't answer all of them yet. But she was talking to him, she wasn't ignoring him, she wasn't pushing him away.

"An accomplice?" He questioned and saw her smirk widen.

"Yeah, Mustang."

"He helped you steal a book?" Al stared at her.

"Not intentionally, Al. But he didn't stop me when I walked out with it."

"I'm having a hard time getting my head around this, Sis." Al said slowly. "You like him, he likes you." He paused as she groaned. "I did hear that bit. I'm not even going to think about whatever happened behind that door. And you're stealing books with him as well? Next it will be flowers and extortion." Al sighed. "Why don't you do normal things?"

"Actually it was jail and flowers, Al. And what is normal, Al?" Ed asked. "Nothing about this has been normal since it started. I don't know what normal is anymore."

"Jail?" Al turned around on the couch and stared at his sister. His voice went flat. "Tell me about the jail, Edward."

* * *

Edward entered Elysia's room and they turned to look at her. She felt herself blushing and took a deep breath before stepping to the bed to hug Elysia. She hid her face for a moment and managed to gain some comfort from the thin arms around her neck. She smiled at the girl and sat down close to her.

"Is it true, Sis?" Elysia asked with bright eyes.

"Is what true, princess?"

"You and Uncle Roy were kissing."

Edward closed her eyes as she heard the smothered choking from Gracia and Riza.

"I'm sorry Edward. I thought she was asleep when we were …"

"Talking about it?" Edward finished Riza's sentence as she opened her eyes. She looked at Riza and Gracia. They were dismayed but Edward could see the interest and curiousity in their eyes. She looked at Elysia. Those green eyes were watching her and waiting for an answer. She took a deep breath.

"Yes, princess, that is true." And Ed saw Elysia's happy smile.

"That's good." She said and turned towards her mother. "Uncle Roy won't be lonely any more now will he, Mummy?"

Ed stared at Elysia. Lonely? She hadn't thought of him being lonely. He had all his crew, there was Gracia and Elysia, he had …She blinked. He didn't have anyone else as far as she knew. He'd been in a black hole for years, lonely wasn't something you considered while you were in those sorts of places. Being on your own was the preferred state. But he was coming out of it now, he was more like she remembered him. With changes. Changes that made him seem strange, different, intriguing almost. Changes that had coincided with the rise of 'I am attracted' and 'I like'.

"No, he won't be lonely, sweetheart." Gracia said and Ed could almost hear an apology in her words and looked over to meet the blue-green eyes. They really needed to talk, Ed thought. Without Elysia being present. Or anyone else she added, as she saw Riza's sharp eyes.

"That's good. Even Mister Fuery and Mister Breda come together, Uncle Roy never comes with anyone." The little girl stated and Ed frowned thoughtfully. She had already discovered how out of touch he was socially, she had never really connected it with the lack of company. And Roy Mustang didn't strike her as someone who would bring outsiders into the close-knit group anyway. Not to Gracia's home.

Scars. It came back to scars. It had to be that which had sent him into hiding.

"Sister?" Elysia asked and Edward turned back to her.

"Yes?"

"Where's your arm gone?"

"Winry has it, princess. She's fixing it for me." Edward smiled, pushing the other thoughts away. More things to stay awake and think about.

"How long will that take, Edward?" Gracia asked, wondering what had made Ed frown like that.

"She says by tomorrow lunchtime." Ed replied with a small feeling of relief. She hated being without it. It made her feel incomplete. And the thought of it taking any longer than it had to, unnerved her. Talking about it when she had the arm attached was also easier than talking about it when it wasn't there she discovered. It was disconcerting to see them look and know they weren't seeing an arm there this time.

She had endured some looks as she had left the dorm with Al. Havoc and Winry had been waiting and after dropping Ed at the hospital, the others had gone to Gracia's house. They were coming back to the hospital after they had dropped off Al and Winry's things. People had even stared as she had walked through the hospital which had surprised her. She would have thought they would have been too used to seeing similar things.

"Fuery was very interested in it." Riza remarked after a quick look with Gracia. Edward was looking unsettled. Her eyes kept flickering and they both knew it was not just because of the arm. Edward had never been one to share easily. It had taken months before Riza had found out exactly what the boys had done to leave them so damaged all those years ago. And even then she had not heard it from Edward, but from Roy. Riza had no idea how Edward was feeling about this afternoon's almost public display. That brief glimpse at her face as she had left the office had shown nothing but a need to leave.

Edward was too much like Roy sometimes, Riza thought. Getting either one of them to talk when they didn't want to was almost impossible.

"He'll probably ask Winry to get him the drawings." Ed groaned, knowing how much Fuery liked to fiddle with things like that.

"If Fuery learns about it, you wouldn't have to worry Winry or Al about minor repairs." Riza suggested with a hidden smile.

"Winry's very possessive, I doubt she'd allow that, Riza." Ed grinned at the thought of Winry letting anyone near her automail.

"Is Sister coming to visit me?" Elysia asked and Ed nodded.

"Yes, she should be here soon. I don't know how much stuff they brought with them, but it wouldn't be much."

"Is Winry going to be looking at wedding dresses?" Gracia asked and Ed looked blank.

"I don't know. It's still months away."

Gracia smiled. "But to get the perfect gown takes time, Edward."

Ed thought back to the day they had dragged her out shopping. "Still only takes a day though, so I don't think she'd be worrying about it yet."

"Edward, shopping for a wedding dress is a lot more involved than shopping for a ball gown."

"How much more involved?" Ed asked as her eyes narrowed.

"Weeks more involved." Gracia replied.

Edward went pale. "That's just…just obscene. There is no way I am going to have anything to do with it. You can take her shopping if she wants to go." Ed stated firmly.

"Don't you like shopping, Sister?" Elysia asked.

"No princess. I'm not the shopping type."

"But you'll need something for tomorrow night, Ed." Winry's voice came from the door everyone turned to see Winry enter with Al and Havoc behind her.

"Tomorrow night?" Riza and Gracia asked at the same time as Edward frowned at her brother.

"Alphonse." She almost growled.

"What?" He looked puzzled. "She asked why you weren't able to…spend time with us tomorrow night." He paused mid-sentence, they were all being careful not to let Elysia know about her surprise.

"What is happening tomorrow night?" Riza asked, looking from one to the other.

"It's just a civic dinner function thing." Ed muttered reluctantly.

"Ah, you should have said so earlier, Edward." Gracia said, slightly apologetically. She wondered why Edward hadn't mentioned it when she had declined helping. If she had, then Gracia wouldn't have jumped to conclusions and lied to Roy. "I didn't realise …"

"It's okay, Gracia." Edward said, not wanting to say that it hadn't been _this_ dinner she had declined for.

"We can go shopping after I get your arm finished tomorrow." Winry said with a smile. "I really need to start thinking of my wedding dress too."

"I think I'll make do with one of the dresses I've already got, Winry. I don't need any more." Ed said firmly. There was no way she was going shopping again.

"You can't wear either of the gowns to this sort of function, Edward." Riza stated. "Exactly what is involved in this dinner?"

"I don't know. They just said a civic function to talk about alchemists coming back and things." She wasn't going to tell them that she would be on display too.

" 'They'? Who did?" Riza asked, slightly puzzled. She hadn't seen any invitations appear in the office.

"The Fuhrer and the councillor." Ed replied. "They just said dinner, but there's probably more to it."

Riza's eyes narrowed. The Fuhrer and the councillor had only appeared today and yet Gracia had told Riza earlier this evening that Edward had declined yesterday. Edward had had other plans and they had been changed during whatever took place in the office this afternoon.

"Maybe that other black dress we bought would suit, Edward." Gracia said as she mentally ran over the clothes they had bought that day. "I'm not sure if you left it at my house or you took it with you."

"Black one?" Edward shrugged. "There were two of them, I think they're at the dorm."

"What does it look like?" Winry asked Gracia and they began to discuss it.

"Do you know where it's being held, Edward?" Riza asked curiously. Edward seemed remarkably uninformed about this occasion.

"No." She shook her head.

"Or even how you're getting there?"

"…getting picked up." Edward's voice dropped and a faint blush appeared on her face. Riza's eyebrows rose.

"Al tells me you know the Fuhrer, Edward, so you will have someone you know there." Gracia remarked.

"The General will be there too." Al said and everyone turned to look at Edward. Whose blush became very noticeable.

"Roy never mentioned this." Riza said as she stared. No wonder Edward was unwilling to discuss this. After today, she probably wanted to hide somewhere for a while, but instead she was being kept out in the open.

"The Fuhrer said he'd send more details tomorrow." Ed said slowly, her eyes following the folds of the blanket on the bed.

"And Roy will be the one picking you up." Riza stated calmly and Edward's eyes flickered as she gave a small nod. Riza narrowed her eyes and her chin became firm. Jean watched and a small smile flitted across his face. Edward didn't know what was about to hit her.

"Edward." Riza began in a firm voice and Edward looked up warily. "We have known each other for a long time. I watched you grow up, from bratty kid to an almost responsible teen. When you disappeared you left a large gap in all of us and I don't think we'd really understood just how much you had meant to us until after you were gone." She paused and Ed's eyes narrowed. "You came back, changed, grown up but still you. We were, we are glad you returned. Things have certainly become more lively around here. But Edward, we are your friends, we still remember what a brat you were. We were there for you then and we are here for you now."

"Riza…"

"You don't have to worry so much about what we think, Edward. You don't have to worry about what we're going to say. You don't have to be embarrassed with us."

Edward took a deep breath and she looked down at her hand before looking back up.

"Riza, of all the things I have learnt over the last eight years, it's that I am nothing without my brother and my friends. And I learnt never to take them for granted. Every time I see Al I know what it means to be able to keep promises, and every time I see Elysia I know again what it means to be forgiven. Every time I enter the office and see all of you there, I know what it means to have a home. I can't always say the words… I don't trust words that much." Ed took a slow breath. "I know that you are there. You know that I am there as well. Do you really need the words?"

"…_but this is something I have to do on my own." _Roy's words echoed and Riza heard the same words in Edward's voice behind the question.

Riza hadn't been caught out twice in one day for a very long time. Edward was like Roy. Her honesty was just as deep as his. She answered what hadn't been vocalised and she left herself open to questions. The golden eyes stared steadily at her. Riza could see the clarity and depth and knew that Edward had truly grown up. All that had made the boy so determined, so focused, so _human_ despite everything, was there in _her_.

The room was silent as they stared at each other and then Edward smiled.

"Words were never necessary, Riza." And Riza nodded. Edward had always been more expressive and comfortable with actions.

Jean watched, his face echoing the respect he could see in Riza. Al and Winry were smiling softly, they had both seen and heard this side of Edward before. Gracia smiled too, she wished Maes could have been here. He would have been so proud of Edward. She still remembered the way he had always insisted on including them every chance he could.

"Mummy?" Elysia tried to whisper. "Is meaning forgiveness good?"

"Very good, sweetheart." Gracia replied gently.

"Better than good, princess." Ed added.

"Does that mean I can be a flower girl now?" She asked and everyone stared at her.

"A flower girl?" Ed asked, looking puzzled.

"When you and Uncle Roy get married, Sister." Elysia said simply and Ed gaped at her. Gasps and muffled laughter echoed around the room.

"Why would you say that, Elysia?" Ed asked in a strangled voice and with a white face.

"It's what always happens, Sister. You kiss someone and then you get married. All the books say so."

* * *

Riza smiled as she settled against Jean when they finally got home.

It had been amazing to watch Edward switch from that mature, deep adult to her usual light manner in a single moment. The laughter they had tried to muffle at Elysia's first comment had become loud after her second. They could see the curses and denials right behind Ed's wide horrified eyes. Ed's self-control had been phenomenal, Riza realised.

"_That is never going to happen." Edward had said through gritted teeth, struggling to keep all the curse words from coming out._

"_But why not, Sister?" Elysia had asked, her face falling._

_Ed's eyes had flickered and her hand had fisted so hard, Riza thought she heard the knuckles cracking._

"_Because Uncle Roy and I don't …don't like each other that way." Ed had replied, wishing the others would stop laughing and help her out here. Those green eyes were the only things stopping her from letting fly in all directions._

"_But you do like each other, don't you?" Elysia had asked, becoming confused._

"…_Yes." Ed had managed to say, her face going pink._

"_I'll explain it later, sweetheart." Gracia had said and Edward had sighed in relief._

_Edward didn't see the smiles the others exchanged. She had been too busy trying to stop herself from killing her brother who had giggled for ten minutes afterwards. _

"Happy, babe?" Jean asked as he pulled her closer and let his chin rest on her head.

"Very." She smiled as she spoke and he could hear it.

"The Boss has really grown up." He said slowly as he ran over the evening's events.

"Yes. I wonder if Roy has seen that side of her yet." She mused.

"Of course he has. We've all seen it in the office."

"I know, but think about tonight, Jean. Have you ever seen or heard Edward speak like that? This is …maturity. She's never shown that to us before. It's more than just being grown up."

Jean paused and his voice was reflective. "And she's only twenty."

"I know. Can you imagine what she'll be like if she keeps maturing like that and doesn't keep it hidden?"

"The Chief will never know what hit him." Jean's grin was wide and Riza felt him shake with a silent laugh.

"You are an evil man, Jean Havoc."

"Oh Riz, after all those years when he only had to breathe to have them fall, I think I'm entitled to a little bit of gloating."

* * *

Al sat on the couch at Gracia's house and watched Winry work on Edward's arm.

It had been a day almost as unreal as the day he had managed to bring Ed back. What he had thought would be a simple visit had suddenly become something complicated and confusing.

His sister and the General. It just seemed impossible and yet he had seen it, he had heard it. He had always been patient with his brother as they were growing up, he was finding it hard to be patient now. Edward and Roy Mustang.

If it was so hard for him to believe, how much harder must it be for her, he wondered. To like the one person you had spent years deriding and insulting.

He had wanted to ask so many things earlier but he had seen how confused she was and he had held back. She didn't need more questions right now. But her behaviour was puzzling to him. She had said she liked the General, but not once had he heard her call him by his first name. She hadn't gone all dreamy and spacey, she had frowned. She was confused beyond what seemed normal.

He frowned. He had been confused when he had first realised he liked Winry and it had taken him a month to realise why he always looked forward to going home and why he always called when he could. To see her, to hear her. She had made Resembool home for him. It had grown and he had kept it tucked up inside as he kept searching for Edward. She had always been there for him, as she had always been there for them as they had grown up.

He looked up as she sat beside him.

"You okay, Al?" She asked as she rested her head at his shoulder.

"I guess." He said, not very confidently.

She nestled closer. "You know Ed can take care of herself, don't you?"

"I know, but I worry."

Winry was silent for a moment. "Al, no-one expects you not to. I used to be so jealous of the way you two could almost read each other's minds. And the way you both kept on going in spite of everything. If I hadn't seen you do that, I don't know if I could've gone forward either."

"I'm sorry, Winry, I didn't think…" Al said in a stricken voice. No wonder she had been quiet and had not spoken much to Ed yet.

"Al, it's okay. I forgave him remember, and I'm not suddenly going to take it back because he likes Edward." Her blue eyes glittered. "But if he hurts her, then it will be very different."

"Winry!" Al protested and she turned her face towards his.

"Don't be shocked, Al. I know perfectly well that I would have to get in line behind you and Miss Hawkeye."

* * *

Edward lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Several thoughts vied for her attention and she was pushing them away. She didn't want to think about gender, she was tired of those questions. She didn't want to worry about the questions she knew Al still had. She didn't want to think on why she had let him kiss her and she certainly didn't want to analyse why she had kissed him back. For once she just wanted to feel something, to remember that feeling and the questions wouldn't let her. She would see him again tomorrow. Would he kiss her again? Would she let him? Dammit, why were there all these questions again? Pick one she told herself, pick one and find an answer, then maybe it would disappear and she could move on to the next one.

Why had she agreed to go? She could have let him go on his own. She could have watched him refuse and then watched as the Fuhrer had made it an official order. What would he had chosen, she wondered. Would he have continued to refuse or would he have obeyed? How would she have felt? Had it really been wise to speak up? He didn't seem to have been offended or upset by what she had done.

Why had she done it? Perhaps the simplest answer was to be found in the simplest words.

"Because I like Roy Mustang." She told the ceiling. But not that way, she added silently and hurriedly.

Then she rolled over and buried her head under the pillow.

"I can't believe I kissed him."

* * *

Roy sat in his chair and stared at his half glass. If he tilted it the right way, the light caught and it glowed golden. He smiled. He had kissed her and he was going to do it again tomorrow. He wondered if she had thought of that yet. One kiss led to more kisses.

He still wasn't completely sure as to why she had spoken up and accepted the invitation before the Fuhrer had made it an order. He was rather glad she had done because he really did not know what he would have done. He liked to think he would have kept on refusing, but he had promised to serve and although he had not replied directly to the Fuhrer's query at that lunch, he had said it was his decision to take a more active role.

It wasn't the date he had wanted, but they would be at this function together, he would make sure she stayed close and they would leave together. Hadn't he thought about this before? Of coming home after events like that, together. To sit here with her after an evening out?

He looked at the liquid gold in his glass.

"I like you Edward Elric, and I am not going to let you forget that." He promised again. He swirled the drink around and watched it. Liking Edward was definitely an unpredictable place to be he thought. He had never been caught kissing in the office before. He had done a few things lately he had never done before. Liking Edward was taking him places that made him slightly nervous and question himself in ways he never had before.

For the first time since she had returned and dragged him from his isolation, he could see something in front of him.

"Where ever it takes me Edward, I'm going to make sure you come with me."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you all for waiting and being patient with me. I know my last few updates have been coming later and later, and after having talked and thought it over with a few people, I have decided to make this a fortnightly update now. That way I can still take a week to write Echoes but also have a week to work on my other stories.

To those whose reviews I haven't replied to, I am getting there, I promise. To the anon ones, thank you so much as well and hopefully the questions you ask, get answered as it keeps going. I can not believe the amount of comments and support I get from you all. It is truly amazing and you are all awesome. Efharisto poli.

silken :)


	26. “Roy”

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 26: ****" Roy."**

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric was not smiling when she left her dorm earlier than normal. A restless night had not put her in a good mood and she was going to have to face the mess for breakfast without her arm because she and Al had eaten the last of her meagre stocks yesterday. She was not looking forward to that. She had never had to go without her arm around other people before. Her only hope was that it was too early for the majority of soldiers to be there.

And she wasn't exactly happy about the rest of her day either. It felt like she had so many things to do and absolutely no time in which to get any of them done. And hanging it over it all was this evening. She was trying very hard not to think about it. The problem was that everything she had to do today was related in some way to it.

She puffed her breath out as she pushed the mess door open with her left hand and a frown. Gracia was first, she thought. She could sneak into the hospital before any of the others showed up. Talking to Al had helped, but there were some things she just didn't feel comfortable discussing with him. And she had been trying to get to see Gracia for a few days now. If she had managed to see her earlier maybe yesterday afternoon wouldn't have happened.

There weren't many soldiers in the mess this early, which made them notice her entrance almost immediately. She was too deep in thought to see the looks and her empty jacket sleeve became the focus of their attention. She grabbed a tray and slid it in front of her as she continued to think about the day. She knew she had to keep her thoughts occupied or they would head straight into Roy Mustang-land. She had just spent a whole night doing that, she didn't want a day-ticket as well.

"Sir?" The hesitant word caused her to turn and she saw Terlat there, joining the line with a tray.

"Hey Terlat." She said cheerily enough and then her eyes narrowed. "Just the person I need to see." She added thoughtfully.

"Me, Sir?" He queried, slightly curious. He was surprised to see her here so early. Actually very few officers appeared in the mess this early.

"Yes, seeing as you're the one who seems to control my schedule lately." She grinned at him as she slid her tray along and began to fill it up. "I need you to cover for me this morning."

Terlat frowned. "I'm not sure if I can do that, Sir." He said as he thought about it. Edward looked at him and her eyebrows rose.

"Why not? All I need is a couple of hours this morning."

Terlat paused and wondered what to say. Telling the Lieutenant-Colonel that he had been directed never to let her be without adequate supervision was not a viable option, even if it was the truth.

Edward took note of his silence and the expression on his face. She knew that expression.

"Hawkeye got to you." She said in a flat tone and saw his eyes open wide and stare at her. "I'd know that look anywhere."

"I'm really not at liberty to say, Sir." He said uncomfortably. Ed almost laughed. Hawkeye had obviously terrified the man.

"Terlat. If I remember correctly, I believe you were ordered to serve under my command."

"Yes, Sir." He agreed as he saw the glint in her eye.

"And while Major Hawkeye no doubt has nothing but the best of intentions, she isn't really part of the chain of command here."

"Uh, no Sir."

"So, she really doesn't have the ability to influence your actions in this matter, Terlat." Edward said confidently.

"Sir, she is a Major and I am merely a Sergeant. Regardless of our being in different departments, I am still required to obey the commands of a more senior officer."

"Well, that makes me senior to you both, therefore I can order you to ignore her order." Edward stated. Terlat went pale and stared at her.

"Are you out of your mind?" He blurted without thinking. No-one ignored Major Hawkeye. No-one ever went against anything she said. It had taken him a lot of courage to face her when she had first approached him regarding the accident that had damaged the Lieutenant-Colonel's arm.

Ed looked at him quizzically. "It'll be fine, Terlat. _You'll _be fine." She smiled and moved along the line, lifting her tray easily with her left hand and looking for the closest table to the coffee. She sauntered across and put her tray down before getting her coffee. By the time she sat back down, Terlat was there and his face was looking disturbed.

"With all due respect Sir, I can't ignore the Major's orders."

"It's just for a couple of hours, Terlat. Hawkeye's not even going to know." She replied between mouthfuls. "And if she does ask, just tell her I overruled her instructions."

"Do you have a death wish, Sir?" Terlat asked bluntly. Edward laughed.

"It'll be fine." Edward repeated confidently, and Terlat no longer questioned the Major's reasons for ordering him to keep a watch on the blonde. Her behaviour seemed to be almost foolhardy to him at the moment.

"Where are you going, Sir?" He asked, deciding that if he was going to be the one left behind, he was going to know as much as he could. And after having observed her over the last weeks, he knew she was not going to get offended by his manner.

"I'll be at the hospital and you can only tell that to Hawkeye, and only if it's a dire emergency." Edward said firmly. "I don't expect anyone to ask, Terlat. And they know I'm not going to be in the office later on anyway." She waved briefly at her empty sleeve. "But I will be back for the afternoon."

Terlat nodded and they finished breakfast, rearranging the day to accommodate Ed's plans. Terlat found himself reassessing her again. She wasn't being foolhardy at all, and although she wasn't saying why she needed to go to the hospital, he could see she was making sure that her absence was not going to cause problems for him or for the rest of her crew. And that's what we're becoming, he thought. With Cal as her secretary and himself to oversee, the others were finding places gradually as well. Simon especially was proving very handy at finding things and Terlat was determined to develop that skill of his. There was nothing more valuable to a group than having someone able to 'find' whatever you needed.

He sat at the table and watched as she left the mess. He had been in the military for ten years. For the first time since he had enlisted he had finally found an officer he liked and one he was going to make sure he stayed with.

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang was smiling as he entered his car Friday morning and kept smiling all the way to Headquarters. His driver had to keep looking in the rear mirror to double check that it really was the Ice General and not some stranger in there. He was still smiling as he entered his office, ten minutes early, and began on the first of the files without a complaint or long-suffering look.

His staff looked at him and then at each other. Wide smiles broke out and Breda and Havoc left the room hurriedly so they could laugh in the corridor. It took ten minutes before they could stop themselves from laughing every time their eyes met.

Hawkeye shook her head at them when they returned although she too, found it hard to keep a straight face as Roy kept working solidly. And every now and again he would look at the small paper flowers sitting beside him.

* * *

Edward entered Elysia's room and smiled at the little girl as she bounced on her bed.

"Sister! Can you do more flowers for me? Please?" Elysia asked, her eyes wide and pleading, the minute the door closed behind Ed. Edward blinked.

"More flowers, princess?"

"Elysia!" Gracia said firmly and Elysia's face fell slightly.

"I'm sorry, Mummy." She said in a downcast voice and Edward looked from one to the other in surprise.

"I said you could ask Edward later, not straightaway." Gracia said with a firm gentleness and Elysia's head sank slightly. Edward opened her mouth to say she didn't mind when she caught Gracia's eye and the brief headshake, and closed her mouth without saying anything. "I didn't expect to see you so early, Edward." Gracia said with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry, but it's the only free time I've got today. And…" she paused and fidgeted slightly, "…I knew no-one else would be here this early." Her face went slightly pink. Edward knew she needed to talk, but now that she was here, it was making her feel nervous and unsure of herself. Suddenly she didn't want to say anything and had an almost overwhelming urge to leave.

"Let me get Elysia organised and then we'll talk." Gracia said gently and Edward nodded. She watched as Gracia called a nurse and Elysia was led out of the room.

"She goes and plays with the other children for awhile. The doctors say it does her good to mingle and keep up her social skills." Gracia said as she sat down and looked over at a restless Edward. "Sit, Edward. It can't be that bad, whatever it is."

"I don't know, Gracia. It feels pretty bad." Edward grumbled and pulled a chair over. She turned it around and straddled it, her arm resting along the chair back and her chin on her arm. She fell silent, unsure how to start now that the moment was here. Especially after last night when she had all but told Riza to stay out of it. But friends or not, there was no way she would have spoken out last night, not only with Al and Winry there, but Havoc and Elysia as well.

"I'm guessing this is about Roy." Gracia said softly.

"Who else?" Ed complained. "The man's a walking distraction and it's driving me insane!"

Gracia smiled. Edward sounded frustrated and confused.

"You like him."

"I know that and so does he." Edward said slowly. "The problem is that he likes me too."

Gracia frowned. "I wouldn't call that a problem, Edward."

"I would. It just shouldn't be like this." She looked at Gracia and her expression lost its confused look. "He's not supposed to like me. I'm male. Roy Mustang doesn't like other men."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No. but he doesn't need to. I mean, if he did like…men, everyone would know." Edward waved her hand around slightly.

"I thought you said he liked you."

"That's what he said."

Gracia looked at Edward and felt slightly confused herself. "Okay, let me see if I have this straight. You like Roy, he likes you. But because you're male, it's all wrong? Is that roughly what we have here?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, I know it doesn't seem a lot, but it certainly feels like a major problem."

"Edward…" Gracia paused. "I don't understand why you think Roy shouldn't like you. Just because you see both of you as male really isn't a big problem."

"Gracia…" Edward paused and then she looked up and Gracia saw a vulnerability in the golden eyes she had never seen before. "Gracia, I don't know what sex I am, I'm not even a whole person…I have scars that…I have scars. This liking feeling terrifies me, Gracia and knowing that it's him of all people, and that he likes me. It's not something I know how to cope with, Gracia."

Gracia stared at Edward. Gone was the nervousness, gone was the confusion. Edward stated the problem as she saw it. She had let herself open up and reveal the uncertainty she was feeling.

Edward was like Roy in many ways, she thought. Roy had had Maes and Ed had had Al. Neither had looked for more. Edward was probably the more independent, she thought. Four years away without Al, without anyone she knew. It had to have developed a self-reliance beyond what she had always shown. When Ed had returned, she had found Al again. And things had changed. Al had Winry, they lived in different places and although they were still very close, there was no immediacy to their contact.

Without Al beside her anymore, she had no-one to talk to, to stop the little things becoming bigger things. And all the maturity and self-reliance was not going to help when you suddenly found yourself feeling things you'd never felt before. If anything, you found yourself becoming insecure because what you had relied on, what you had depended on no longer helped. And Edward was realising that.

"Edward, everyone goes through similar feelings."

"I know, but that's not really a help here, Gracia. I can make it as simple as I can, but it can't… it won't stay that simple. There are too many other considerations. And those other things are crowding everywhere before I've even had a chance to figure out the basics. Every time I turn around… it's like a monster I once heard about. It grows an extra head. Every time I think I've answered one question, two more appear in its place." The restless nights were evident in the tiredness in Edward's voice.

"And what about Roy?"

Edward rolled her eyes. "Damned stupid man. It doesn't seem to be affecting him. _'Edward Elric, I like you and I am not about to let you forget it_.She almost sneered the remembered words and then muttered. "Arrogant bastard." Gracia held back a smile. It sounded as if Roy had been less than tactful in his declaration of intent, and the fact that Edward could quote them so easily merely demonstrated just how much she had been remembering exactly what he had said.

"You're not exactly letting anyone see how it's affecting you, why would you assume he would either?" Gracia asked logically and Edward froze. Hadn't she thought the same thing about him back then, after he had let fly with words and feelings she had never thought him capable of, after he had thrown his watch at her. Was he hiding the same confusions she was? It didn't seem possible, not when she remembered how intent his voice had been. He hadn't been confused. He had been determined.

She shook her head. "I don't think he's confused like I am." She sighed. "Is this a female thing? This confusion?"

"No, Ed. It is a human thing. Everyone gets confused when feelings change. Everyone finds a way through it."

Ed put her head down onto her arm. "Some days I wish it was all like it used to be." She said quietly.

"Do you think it would make a difference?" Gracia asked curiously. "Do you think that if you were as you used to be, you wouldn't like Roy?"

"Of cour…" Edward stopped and looked up with a frown on her face. "Of course I wouldn't." The initial force of her rebuttal faded slightly and Gracia could almost hear the unspoken 'Would I?'

"Edward, attraction comes as it pleases and liking someone is the same. And neither can be forced. Trying to make yourself feel something you don't, or denying something that you do never works."

"So, I have to just let it run its course?" Edward asked, her voice doubtful.

"It's not a disease, Ed." Gracia smiled. "Don't you want to know where it will go?" She added, and Edward heard herself saying '_What do we have, Mustang?_' after everyone had left the office yesterday. There had been no reply, she hadn't wanted one and she hadn't given him a chance either. All she had wanted was to get out of there.

More than anything else, that was the question she didn't want to hear at all. That was the one that led into the places she wasn't sure she wanted to go. Not with him. Not with anyone. Scars were there. Nightmares were there. She shook her head and swallowed.

"Edward, you wouldn't be walking it alone." Gracia pointed out in a soft, almost hesitant voice. Horrified golden eyes stared at her.

"I can't even say his fucking name!" Edward suddenly said loudly, and stood up abruptly and began to pace around the room. Gracia watched her with concern. "I don't even know why this keeps twisting me up everywhere. One minute it seems obvious and the next it's all confusion again. I just can't get my mind to decide."

"Edward. This has nothing to do with your mind. It's all to do with your heart." Gracia said and Ed stopped her pacing to stare at her.

"That makes it so much more unreliable!" Edward replied as she threw her hand in the air and resumed her pacing. "Why didn't admitting that I like… him, make this easier?"

Gracia laughed softly and Ed looked offended. "Come here Edward." Gracia said and waited until Ed had walked over. She patted the bed beside her and Edward sat down.

"Ed, when I told Maes I liked him, he smiled at me and said he had known for a while and that he had been waiting for me to say it. I was furious with him. I asked him why he hadn't said anything and he said that he just wanted me to be sure. That I wouldn't have said anything until I was ready for it. He said that he had been trusting me to make my own decision without feeling like he was pressuring me. I spent a week resenting him before I accepted the truth of what he had said."

"I wish he was here now." Ed sighed.

"Me too." Gracia echoed and there was silence for a moment.

"He would have been making Mustang's life hell about all of this." Edward grinned. Gracia smiled at her words and nodded in agreement. Edward sighed and fell backwards onto the bed. Gracia turned slightly to look at her. The grin had gone and her face was pensive as she stared at the ceiling.

"I shouldn't have let him kiss me." Edward said in a thoughtful voice. "And I should never have kissed him back."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I don't think I was ready for it. Especially with everyone there watching." Ed's breath puffed out. "I can't believe I was such an idiot."

"No-one actually saw you two kissing, Ed."

Ed turned her head slightly and met Gracia's eyes. "We were in the office Gracia, everyone was there when I put my foot in it."

"So Riza told me, but Winry shut the door before anyone saw anything."

Ed's eyes went wide and she sat up. "So Al _didn't _see…" she sagged with relief slightly.

"That doesn't mean they didn't know what was happening." Gracia reminded her.

"I know, but Al's as confused as I am, I think. And thinking that he had_ seen_ me … _that_, made it awkward when I was talking with him yesterday."

"Like you, he probably needs some time to adjust. At least you can talk to him."

"Yeah, but not as much as we used to. The thought of discussing some of this with him makes me uncomfortable. I don't understand why that should be."

"Because it's different and it's new and strange. And because he wasn't here when it all started changing. You two are very close but you can't talk about this over a phone. After being apart for a while, it will take you a little time to readjust again, that's all. Al probably talks most things over with Winry now, but you'll always be closer than most."

"Well, of course he does. That doesn't surprise me at all. And there's no way we'd ever lose what we have, despite him and Winry being engaged and all."

"Who do you talk to, Edward?" Gracia asked suddenly.

"Uh… you." Ed frowned as she tried to think. She wondered if the conversations she'd had with Mustang counted. They probably didn't, she decided. After all, she hadn't intended to say most of those things to him anyway. They'd just been blurted out. The thought of deliberately discussing anything like this with him was unthinkable. Was not going to happen. Ever.

"No-one else?" Edward shook her head.

Who else was there? She hadn't really needed people to talk to. Al had been the only one she had really shared things with. And until all this attraction and confusion had appeared, she hadn't felt the need to confide in anyone. It just hadn't been necessary.

Gracia watched as Edward thought and saw the flickering changes in her face. Gracia smiled. Sometimes things just fell into place and she wondered how long it would take Edward to realise that she was going to have to talk to Roy about this.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Why _don't_ you call him 'Roy'?"

* * *

Al walked across the parade area at Headquarters and smiled in the morning sun. Despite whatever was going on between his sister and the General, it was good to be back here. It was his second home. He had grown up here and after Edward had gone, he had found a place that offered him a chance to find his brother. And also a place where he had been welcomed, not because he was Fullmetal's brother, but because he was simply Al and they had been more than pleased at his return.

Since Ed had returned to Central, he had found it both easier and harder than he had expected to stay in Resembool. He had missed her and quite often he had started to say something, only to stop suddenly as he realised she wasn't there to hear it anymore. The phone calls had become important and he would often jot things down so he wouldn't forget to mention them. He hadn't told her just how much those phone calls meant to him some days. Because there were days when he would find himself thinking she had left again, that she had disappeared again and was never going to return. Hearing her voice always reassured him, knowing that if he rang to reassure himself, she was always happy to talk to him and she never asked why he was ringing earlier than usual.

Winry had given him space but she was also quick to hug him whenever she found him looking lost as he wandered the rooms occasionally. She had begun to teach him about automail and he had started to do small repairs with his alchemy. There were things he could do and plenty of space and time to do them in. But Edward was never far from his thoughts and he had often wondered how she was managing here without him. Of all the things he had imagined, yesterday had shown him that his imagination was severely limited.

It was hard to believe and the thought of Ed with the General made him slightly uneasy. Of all the people for Ed to like, it had to be him? It made sense in one way he supposed. They did know each other well and they had always enjoyed their squabbles. But he would bet that even they had not seen it as anything more than a way to annoy the other. He wondered when it had all changed. Edward had been too confused to be really articulate and he knew how hard it was to pin her down to specifics at times.

He still resented the fact that she hadn't told him what was happening. Something as big as liking someone was not the sort of thing you kept secret from your brother. He sighed as he walked. But it wasn't something you could really talk about over the phone, not when the phone was in the middle of the office or the one in the hall of the dorms. There was no chance of privacy. Maybe he was just being irrational because he was feeling left out.

Ed's office door was open and he looked in to see a thin, young nervous looking private staring at several files. Al coughed gently and waited for the private to look up.

"Is the Lieutenant-Colonel in?"

"No…Sir." Cal looked at the newcomer. He looked familiar but Cal didn't think he had ever seen him before. He hadn't seen many civilians here and was rather surprised that this one had just walked in without an escort.

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

"I'm not sure, Sir." Because I don't know where she is, he didn't add, and even if I did I'm not going to tell you.

"Is Sergeant…Terlat here?" Al asked as the private seemed to be uneasy with his questions.

"The Sergeant is out for the moment." Cal said more firmly. He did actually know where the Sergeant was.

Al frowned slightly. "When is he due back?"

"In half an hour, Sir." Cal replied after a quick look at the clock on the wall.

"When Ed returns, get her to give me a call." Al watched as the private pulled out a piece a paper and pen. "Tell her I'll be in General Mustang's office."

"And you are, Sir?" Cal asked.

"I'm her brother."

Cal's eyes went wide and he stood up abruptly, halfway into saluting before he remembered that Major Elric was retired.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't realise…" No wonder he looked familiar. Cal could see the likeness to the Lieutenant-Colonel.

"It's ok, Private…"

"Cal, Sir. Everyone calls me Cal."

"Cal." Al nodded. "I met Sergeant Terlat yesterday. If you can give that message to Ed, I'd really appreciate it."

"I don't know when she'll be in, Sir." Cal said almost hesitantly. This was her brother, it wasn't against the rules to tell him.

Al's frown deepened. "Didn't she say when she'd be back?"

"She hasn't come in yet, Sir."

Al stared at him. "What do you mean she hasn't come in yet? She should have been here an hour ago."

"I know, Sir. But she hasn't shown up yet."

"Ed never sleeps in this late." Al muttered, thinking quickly. Maybe he ought to check her dorm anyway, just in case. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well lately, maybe it had finally caught up with her and she was actually sleeping. "I'll check her room Cal, and give you a call from there. Knowing Ed, she'll turn up the minute I leave."

"Ok Sir. I'll tell her where you are."

"Good." And Al smiled as he left the office.

* * *

"I don't know, Gracia. It's not like I don't know what it is, or that I can't say it at all. I just can't say it on its own." Ed sighed and moved back to straddle the chair again. And it comes with all those images and feelings, she didn't say.

Gracia looked at Edward. She had it so bad and she was still unaware of how many other facets there were. Unless she was ignoring them, or just not realising the implications of what could develop. One thing was certain, Gracia thought. Edward was seeing everything in a jumbled manner and that was why she wasn't coping. Perhaps, she thought, perhaps Edward needs to see things from a different angle. She frowned slightly and then her smile widened briefly, disappearing completely before she spoke in a contemplative voice.

"There aren't many people who use his name anymore." Ed looked up and Gracia kept her smile hidden at the sudden gleam of interest in the golden eyes. "Other than Riza and I, everyone else has gone."

Edward began to stare, her eyes widening. "No-one?"

"No." Gracia sighed slightly and her eyes were darker as she met Ed's gaze. "He's the 'General' or 'Mustang'. Even you called him 'bastard'. The ones who used to call him 'Roy' didn't survive Ishbal. And of those who did, most have since died." Like Maes, they both thought. "I wonder sometimes if using his name brings back those memories to him, but I believe someone has to remind him of who he is." Ed frowned, puzzled.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"Just as you get seen as Fullmetal or Lieutenant-Colonel, they're not really who you are. To me, to your friends, you are Edward. The rest are things that you have accumulated and grown into, but underneath everything, you _are_ Edward. When you hear your name, you respond, because it is you and everything you have been." Gracia watched Ed listen intently. "So I call him Roy, because no matter what has happened or gone before, he is still Roy."

Edward blinked. "Human" slipped out before she could stop herself and Gracia nodded at her.

"Yes. For all his Ice General façade and the distance he kept, he's always been human."

Something Ed kept forgetting as she dropped her head to the back of the chair and groaned.

* * *

Edward was not in her dormitory and Al received some wary looks from several of the female residents as he walked through the halls. He felt slightly nervous as some of them looked as if they would follow him. He tried not to look too suspicious as he walked a bit quicker to the phone and dialled Ed's office.

"Cal? She's not here. Has she turned up there yet?" His breath puffed out and he frowned as he listened to Cal's negative response. "What about Terlat? Is he back?"

"_Not yet, Sir."_

Al paused, trying to think. Where could she be? She wouldn't be at the General's office. Would she? After yesterday, would she had gone back there? If he knew one thing about his sister, it was that she never ran away from anything.

"I'll go and see if she's gone to the General's office, Cal. It's the only other place I can think of."

"_If she comes in here, I'll tell her that, Sir."_

"Thanks Cal." Al hung up and began to trek back through the complex.

Edward had better be there he thought. All this walking around was starting to annoy him. And if he wasted too much time finding her, he wasn't going to get much time to talk to her either. Winry would be waiting for Ed to have her arm re-attached and then who knew what the afternoon would be like? Winry was again talking about going shopping after lunch. He was hoping he would be able to spend some time with his sister today.

The General's office was busy he noticed. Hawkeye was talking to a young brown-haired Corporal who looked absolutely terrified. Al sidled over to Havoc's desk as the man looked up and saw him entering the office.

"Hey Al." Havoc greeted him with a smile.

"Havoc." Al nodded back, smiling easily in return. "Have you seen Ed today?"

"No, she hasn't been in. Have you tried her office?"

"Yes, and her dorm." Al frowned. "I can't find her anywhere."

"What did that Sergeant of hers say?"

"Terlat? He's not there either, but Cal, her secretary, says she hasn't been in at all."

Havoc pursed his lips. "That's not like the Boss." Lately she had developed a conscientious streak and always let someone know if she went anywhere, during working hours at least. And the time she had not come in, she had called.

"She didn't say anything last night about not being here." Al said. "And we had organised to go to Mrs Hughes' for her arm just before lunch."

Their eyes met. Edward didn't disappear without a reason. She always had a reason. They both remembered yesterday's events and while it was uncharacteristic of her to run from anything, they both could understand her wanting to stay away. But she would have said something. She wouldn't have just gone.

"I'll ring her office again, Al." Havoc said and Al nodded. He looked towards the inner door.

"I might just see the General as well." He said slowly and Havoc watched as Al entered Mustang's office and closed the door behind him. Jean looked over and met Riza's eyes briefly before he picked up the phone.

* * *

Roy looked up as his door closed and he saw Al standing there. The teen had a strange look on his face, determined, slightly embarrassed and nervous. Roy watched as he came closer to the desk, the grey eyes not faltering.

"Good morning, Al." Roy said as he waved him towards a chair. He was not completely surprised when Al shook his head and didn't sit down. He put his pen down and rested his chin on his fingers as he put his elbows on his desk.

"I wanted to speak to you about Edward." Al said bluntly and Roy held back his smile. Al was always the one to confront any issues head-on. To ask the questions instead of trying to figure it all out on his own, like Edward did.

"What did you want to discuss?" He asked calmly. He was not surprised that Al had decided to question him. He was a bit surprised that Al had come here so soon. He had been expecting Al to do something like this over the weekend.

"Exactly what is going between you and my sister?"

"Edward and I like each other, Al." Roy said, keeping his voice even.

"That really doesn't tell me anything." Al replied, frowning slightly.

"Al, there's not really more to tell. What happened yesterday…it wasn't planned and I did not expect anything like that to occur." Roy kept his eye focused on Al. "Edward and I haven't had a chance to talk about this. You probably know more than I do because you were with her yesterday."

Al wasn't about to be drawn into discussing anything Ed had said to him yesterday with the General. That was not something he was going to share.

"But what are you going to do now?" Al asked. "What you said yesterday can't be taken back."

"I don't intend to take it back. But Al, what happens next will be between Edward and I. I know how concerned you are, but this is something we have to figure out on our own." Roy told him firmly.

"Concerned is not quite the word I would use, General. Edward is my sister and I don't want to see her hurt or placed in any situation that could cause her to be hurt. I will hold you responsible if that should happen." Al replied just as firmly.

"Even if this had not happened, do you honestly believe that I would jeopardise Edward's safety and well-being?"

"Not intentionally, but Edward…"

"Precisely. Edward rarely listens to me at the best of times. I hardly think she's going to be more inclined to listen to me now."

"That's not what I was going to say!" Al said quickly, even as he acknowledged the truth inherent in that remark. If anything, Ed would become downright unmanageable if she stayed in that confused state much longer.

"What were you going to say?"

"Edward doesn't look as she rushes into things. It's not her listening to you, it's Edward listening to herself."

Roy blinked and stared at Al with a new respect. Not only was he prepared to talk about this, he was also prepared to share the fears he had and, protective brother he might be, he was not a blind one. He knew Edward better than anyone and he was prepared to do all he could, and use everything he knew to protect her. And his honesty was his best weapon.

Roy could not ignore him like he had Riza yesterday, but he didn't want to share with Al what he hadn't shared with Edward yet. Al needed reassurance and he needed promises from both Edward and Roy. He could offer reassurances, but he wasn't going to tell Al what he wanted Edward to be the first to hear. And some promises were just not possible.

"I'm not going to let Edward go rushing into anything, Al." He said sincerely as he met the grey eyes with a level stare. "But I can't promise to never let her get hurt, there are no guarantees now. For either of us."

* * *

Edward let her breath out and lifted her head slightly. She looked at Gracia and kept her voice neutral as she spoke.

"You used that to make him think I was going to help tonight."

Gracia's eyes widened but then she blushed slightly and nodded. "Yes. Although I didn't expect you to realise what I had done."

"I was talking to Al when I figured it out. If he hadn't been so angry and come barging in as I was getting my arm removed, probably neither of us would …nothing would have happened." The golden eyes stayed steady. "Why did you do that?"

"Because it proved what I wondered about." Gracia smiled. "I knew how you felt, and I was fairly sure about Roy, and I wanted to know why both of you had declined to help tonight."

"Stupid date." Edward muttered and Gracia's eyebrow rose.

"A date? I thought it was a civic function."

Ed grimaced, she hadn't meant to be heard. "It is a civic thing, but originally it… he… he had asked me to dinner."

"And you had accepted. Well, I can see why it was changed, with the Fuhrer requesting you to attend. There will be other dinners, Edward."

"Yeah." Ed sounded rather unenthusiastic about that notion and Gracia smiled. First steps were always the hardest ones to take and Edward had enough extra concerns to make them harder than usual.

"Don't worry Ed. For once, just try not to think so hard about things."

"Easier said than done." Ed replied and began to draw back slightly. She'd had enough of talking about this for awhile. More things to think about and more thoughts to keep her awake at nights. And she knew she still had more talking to face later with Al and Winry. This better be worth something, Roy Mustang or I am seriously going to kick your ass, she thought. Edward froze slightly, that had hints of going places to it and she wasn't prepared for that yet, not at all.

"…get ready for tonight?"

Ed blinked. "Sorry?"

"I asked if you needed any help getting ready for tonight." Gracia repeated and Edward shook her head, remembering last time.

"No, I think I can manage."

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping again."

"No!" Edward said loudly and cringed slightly. "Thank you, but I really don't think I need that much help to get dressed."

Gracia laughed. "Was it too overwhelming for you last time, Ed?"

"Yes." Edward agreed fervently.

"Well, if you want to, on your way, you can call in here and…show Elysia." Edward looked at Gracia as she paused and saw the offer Gracia didn't give words to. And it probably wouldn't hurt to get that second opinion either, she thought.

Edward nodded. "I might just do that." She said replied slowly. "I'm sure…Elysia will want to see it." And you as well, she said in her smile. "So, what _did _Elysia mean when she asked about the flowers?"

* * *

Al stared at the General. Ed was going to kill him when she found out he had come here to question Mustang, but Al was not going to apologise for it. And he knew she'd probably forgive him as soon as the bruises faded.

The man was being honest with him and it had to be awkward for him Al realised. He wondered how many times the General had been questioned over his love-life. Wait, that was not the right word for this. Both his sister and the General had said 'like' and both had said that yesterday had been unexpected. Al knew Edward wasn't even attempting to think further, she was nothing but confusion. The General however, was much calmer, more settled. The General was thinking clearer than Ed, Al realised. His eyes narrowed.

"No guarantees, you say. But you're still going to follow it." He pointed out.

"Yes." Roy kept his answer short. Al's stance had changed slightly and he was unconsciously leaning forward.

"Regardless of whether Ed wants to or not." He stated as his forehead creased.

"I am not going to force Edward into anything, Al." And Roy straightened up in his chair. Al was staring harder at him as his face became intent.

"Maybe not deliberately, but you know her almost as well as I do." Al's voice went slightly flat and Roy recognised the traits of an Elric seeking information.

"Al, I'm not going to manipulate Edward into anything either." He said, hoping to close off that line of thought. "There is no place for that in something like this."

"'Something like this'?" Al pounced. "So you have considered it further." His eyes widened. "Yesterday _was_ unexpected to you. _You'd_ had it planned for tonight!"

Several thoughts hit Roy all at the same time. One, somehow Al knew about the original date he had planned and the only one he could have found that out from was Edward. He wondered how Al had managed to get Edward to talk about it and what other information he had gotten from her. Two, that Al wasn't completely innocent when it came to knowing how relationships worked. Being with the Rockbell girl had probably been a steep learning curve for the young man Roy thought. Given a choice between the two, he'd stick with Edward. Winry Rockbell frightened him at times. Three, that when Al was seeking information, he could override his normal politeness, courteous manner and inherent shyness and be as focused and blunt as Edward.

Roy discovered again what he had allowed himself to forget. Al was a whole lot more perceptive than Edward ever was. And Al was often the smarter of the two.

He managed to keep his mouth from falling open although his eye widened at the suddenness and pertinacity of Al's statement. He took a deep breath. This was going to be trickier than he had thought.

"Hadn't you, General?" Al repeated.

"The plans I had for this evening, were probably not as definite as you seem to think they were." Roy replied carefully and then decided that he too could be blunt. "Al, I do not intend to discuss Edward with you. What …there is or might be, or could happen, I really think is something that we will work out for ourselves."

"Edward is my sister and anything that concerns her, concerns me." Al said without apology. "I don't want to know what you had planned, but I do want to know where you're planning to take it."

"You want to know the future before it happens, Al? I can't tell you that. I don't know where it's going." Roy replied openly. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked Edward to dinner."

"But you've considered it. I can see that."

"Of course I have." Roy paused. "Al, this really is something you are going to have let us work out."

"General, no offence, I don't really care about you in this matter. But Edward has given up everything for me, more than once, and I will not let her get hurt again."

Roy frowned. He had heard those determined overtones in Al's voice before and he knew how stubborn he could get. Of all the things he had considered when he had thought about Edward, he had not given much…any… thought to an overly protective Al. The last thing he wanted was to have Al upset with him, but he wasn't about to let Al dictate to him either. Not in this matter, not in anything.

"You think I would hurt her?" He asked and watched the grey eyes flicker. "What are you basing this on, Al? Me? Or Edward? Do you think I would deliberately set out to hurt Edward in this manner?"

Al shook his head, but there was still doubt and worry in his face. "No, but …"

"There are no buts here, Al. You have known me for a long time, you have known me longer than Edward has. If you think I am capable of such a thing, then you don't know me as well as I thought you did." Roy leant back in his chair, his face serious and not allowing himself to get offended by what Al was implying.

"General…"

"No, Al. You are Edward's brother, I appreciate what you are saying and that you are…concerned. But what happens or doesn't happen between Edward and I will stay between Edward and me." Roy spoke firmly, his face setting in a determined expression.

Al stared back, seeing the conviction in that determination and wondering where he had gotten it all from. He didn't remember the General being this decisive before, and he certainly wouldn't have sat here and let Al question him as he just had. Was this because he did like Edward? Like her enough to change so much? He had to have a talk with Hawkeye, she'd know. She always knew. But he couldn't let the General think he was just going to accept this state of affairs without a fight.

"If Edward gets hurt, General…" He began in a promising tone, but the General interrupted.

"If Edward gets hurt, then so will I." The General's voice was almost completely expressionless but there was a gleam in the dark eye and Al couldn't finish his broken sentence. "Why don't you go and see her, Al? She's the one you need to talk to."

"She's not there." He replied absently as he tried to define just exactly what that gleam had meant.

"What do you mean, she's not there?" Roy asked sharply, abruptly straightening up in his chair.

* * *

Major Hawkeye looked at the clock surreptitiously and tried not to let her left eye twitch as she interviewed yet another possibility for a secretary. It was barely ten o'clock and she could feel the headache coming on. This one was probably not going to make the grade either. She hadn't realised how hard this was turning out to be. Twelve so far this week she had interviewed and rejected. Mainly women, some men. None of them had the qualities she was looking for. Most had been terrified and the ones that weren't, soon were as Breda and Havoc took it upon themselves to talk loud and long about various past incidents that had occurred in this office. She had frowned at them, but it had held little weight and only added to the general nervousness of the applicants. Mustang's crew were almost as infamous as the General himself was.

"…served in Western Command for three years, Major." The latest one, a black-haired Sergeant, was saying, valiantly ignoring Breda's offhand remark of "D'you think the General would've incinerated the bastard if the Fuhrer hadn't been there?"

"No idea, Breda, but the Boss wouldn't have minded." Havoc drawled as he leant back in his chair and avoided Riza's stern eye.

"I think she's as quick as he is now." Breda said thoughtfully and Havoc frowned. That wasn't part of their script. "Think Havoc, she had those spikes coming up as he was lighting them."

"…with several of the filing systems in Records management, Major." Hawkeye watched the Sergeant keep going, sweat trickling down his forehead, as Breda and Havoc kept talking.

"Now that would be a bet worth aiming for." Havoc grinned. "Get them to face off again."

The inner door slamming open had them all jumping. The General stood there and he looked around.

"Havoc, has the Lieutenant-Colonel appeared yet?" He demanded.

"No, Chief." Havoc's eyes went wide as he saw Al appear behind the General, looking as startled as they were at the General's behaviour.

"Hawkeye, take Al and see what you can find out from that sergeant of hers. Havoc, ring the usual places and see if she's shown up at any of them. Breda, check the training halls and gym. Where are Fuery and Falman?"

"They had a meeting with Regulations regarding new wiring requirements." Hawkeye replied calmly.

"Who are you?" The dark eye focused on the one strange face and the sergeant barely managed to answer the abrupt question without stammering.

"Sergeant Berent, Sir."

"Ring for my car and then help Havoc."

"Where are you going, Sir?" Hawkeye queried.

"I'll check with Gracia." Roy replied and then re-entered his office.

"Al…" Hawkeye heard him say and she exchanged looks with the others. A quick shake of her head had them saying nothing.

"Well Sergeant," Havoc said cheerfully. "Once you've rung the motor pool, you can start on the Libraries."

Sergeant Berent looked rather shell-shocked and he blinked. Hawkeye almost smiled as she handed him a small book. He took it automatically and found it to be the internal phone directory. In a dazed state he rang for the General's car. Breda left and Havoc went to the filing cabinet and removed the sheet of paper attached to the side. Sergeant Berent watched as the General re-appeared with the young man at his side.

"Is my car ready?" He asked and Berent nodded. The General disappeared through the door before he could say anything.

"Well, Sergeant, I guess you'll be with us for the next couple of hours. You can answer the phones once you've assisted Major Havoc." Hawkeye said crisply as she exchanged a quick look with Jean.

"Yes Major." He saluted as she and the civilian left the room. Berent looked at the other Major. "Exactly why am I ringing the libraries, Sir?"

"Just ask if the Lieutenant-Colonel is there." Havoc replied as he put the piece of paper in front of him. "Here's the list of all the numbers."

Sergeant Berent was bewildered. "Which Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"Elric, but they'll know who you mean." Havoc said blithely as he picked up his phone and ignored the wide eyes and gaping mouth that the Sergeant suddenly wore.

* * *

"Major?" Al asked tentatively as they made their way to Edward's office.

"Al, you can call me Riza now." Hawkeye told him and saw him nod out of the corner of her eye. She had a fair idea of what he wanted to say as she heard the nervousness in his voice.

"Do you think the General has changed much lately?" Hawkeye's eyebrows rose. That hadn't been quite what she expected him to say, but she could see where he was heading.

"Yes, Al. He has changed lately." She said non-committally.

"Is it because of …Edward?" Hawkeye blinked and stopped walking. She hadn't expected Al to be this blunt. Al stopped as well and looked at her with serious eyes. "He's changed, Maj…Riza. I saw it in his office. He reminds me more of what he used to be when we first met him. And just now, sending everyone looking for her like that. It's not something he would have done before."

Riza studied the earnest expression on Al's face as she thought quickly. Of all the people around them, Al was the only person both Edward and Roy could not ignore. And neither could she, she realised. She had watched him for four years, a bodiless, selfless suit of armour. She had seen how Edward had done everything he could to protect Al, to keep every promise he had made to his brother. And she had seen how Roy had protected them both, giving them assignments that benefited both them and him, keeping the hierarchy off their backs and giving them as much space as he could for them to grow up in. And she had aided both of them in their efforts to keep Al safe, to get closer to their goals.

"I think that a lot of his changes are due to Edward, Al. When you brought Edward back, Roy began to return as well." Riza said in a quiet voice.

"This started that far back?" Al's eyes went wide.

"No, I don't think so. This is more recent. I don't know when it started and I don't think they know either. And they haven't been conventional with it either."

Al frowned and looked at her for a moment. "It's not like the General to over-react like this either. What exactly is going on between them?"

"I don't know, Al. Nothing they do lately is normal as far as I can see. It's as if they're making their own rules up as they go along."

"Do you think it's a good thing?" He asked in a contemplative voice and he met her gaze with curiousity in his eyes. She paused and thought about it for a moment. Al seemed genuinely interested in her answer and although she had already answered this question once before with Gracia, it was different hearing Al ask it.

"Yes Al. I think it is a good thing. For both of them."

* * *

Lieutenant-General Mustang was well aware that he could have rung the hospital from his office and asked the staff if Edward was there. He was also aware that he was possibly over-reacting…just a little bit... to Edward's non-appearance at her office. There were probably a dozen reasons why she wasn't there. He just couldn't think of one. And he was aware that the thought of not knowing exactly where she was made his fingertips feel cold.

He wasn't sure why he had decided to come here instead of going to Edward's office. He doubted Edward would have left Headquarters. She was more likely to be in the gym, beating her frustrations out on whomever or whatever was there. But he had needed to get away from Al for the moment. Al was asking questions that made him aware of how far he had fallen into this state of '_like_'. He had never made it a habit to discuss his personal life with others, but he had noticed an increased reticence when it came to anything to do with Edward. As if he had found something precious, something just for him. And he didn't want to share it, not yet.

He wondered if Gracia had known what would happen after she had told that lie. He didn't know why she had done that and he was going to ask her about it. Another reason to justify his decision to come here he thought as he walked down the white corridors.

He stopped just outside the door as he heard laughter coming from the room. Elysia… and Edward. She was here after all. He felt the relief as his breath puffed out and his eye closed briefly before he felt the anger. She should have told someone where she was going. She should not have just left and come here without clearing it with him. She was supposed to be in her office working on getting the Research department re-organised. She was supposed to be where he expected her to be.

He opened the door and stopped.

Paper was strewn over the bed and Elysia was drawing coloured patterns on some of them. Edward was drawing too, but she was drawing circles and transmuting the coloured and patterned sheets into flowers. Gracia was trying to stack them without crushing the paper.

"Uncle Roy!" Elysia called to him but Edward had already known he was there. In the corner of her eye she had seen the door open and the blue uniform appear. She hadn't needed to look up to his face. The stance, the gloved hand in a pocket and the prickling at the back of her neck as she felt him stare, told her exactly who stood there.

"Good morning Elysia," the deep voice said as he came closer and bent over slightly to give Elysia a hug. Edward kept her eyes focused on the circle she was drawing. She hadn't thought she'd be seeing him before the afternoon, before she got her arm back and she felt at a disadvantage. Not to mention that she hadn't had any time to assimilate her talk with Gracia either.

"Hello Roy." Gracia said with a smile and Edward felt him walk past her to greet Gracia with a hug as well.

"Hello Gracia. You're looking well today." He said and Edward could hear the reciprocating smile in his voice.

"Edward." he said, suddenly right beside her. There was a slight edge to his voice and she wondered why he was upset with her. Not that she was going to ask, not here, not yet.

"Mustang." She replied after a small pause. She took another slow deep breath and refused to look at him.

"Have you come to help, Uncle Roy?" Elysia asked.

"Help with what?" He asked, wondering how long Edward would go before she looked at him.

"Making flowers. I want to give them to the nurses before I go tomorrow." Elysia replied as if it was obvious. Roy looked at all the ones already completed.

"How many more do you need?" He asked. Surely there was more than enough for every nurse in the hospital here already.

"Another …" Elysia paused as she counted on her fingers.

"Twelve." Edward whispered softly.

"Twelve!" Elysia said proudly, smiling widely at him and he stifled his laugh. "You can help Sister draw the circles." She said in a commanding voice. Gracia thought he was going to refuse, when he smiled.

"Of course." He said and sat himself on the bed on the other side of the small table Edward was using. "Can I see the circle, Edward?" He asked and she silently pushed one across the table. Edward's cheeks were pink and he smiled before he looked at the circle and began to copy it carefully.

It had been a long time since Roy had drawn a circle other than his own and he was aware that Edward was watching. She still wouldn't look up and he wondered why. It was unlike her to shy away from anything like this. Was she embarrassed about yesterday? Was she regretting having agreed to go tonight?

Edward was trying to gather what self-control she could find. There were so many thoughts running around her head at the moment, it was hard to remember what she was supposed to be doing. She didn't know why he was here and not in his office. She didn't know why he had agreed to draw the circles but the minute he sat opposite her, she understood part of his reasoning. He had deliberately sat there to make her react. Well she wasn't going to. The contrary part of her rose up and tried to ignore him. It wasn't possible but she could pretend.

"I didn't expect to see you here this morning, Roy." Gracia remarked as she added another flower to the pile.

"I came looking for Edward actually." He replied and saw Edward stiffen. He hid his smile as he added. "Al was wondering where you were."

Edward looked up at him, a startled expression on her face. He could see a faint shadow underneath her eyes but he could see no regret there. It wasn't embarrassment that she was hiding from him, but self-consciousness and he had to think a moment before he remembered her arm. He kept his eye on hers. They were always changing he thought. Deep gold to almost tawny shades, they changed as often as she did. And her eyelashes were really long he noticed again.

Edward couldn't look away. He kept staring at her and she saw the awareness on his face but he didn't stop staring and she found herself noticing the deepening colour in his eye. So dark as to appear black, but it was the darkness of midnight blue and she could see the blue gleams shimmering. There was a faint tenseness to his forehead she saw and her eyes suddenly dropped to his mouth. The pink in her cheeks became more noticeable as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers.

Roy watched and when her eyes dropped slightly and he realised where she was looking, he smiled slightly. Her blush increased and his eyes dropped to her lips. He had spent much of last night thinking about them and those kisses. He wondered if she would shiver again and he wondered if she was going to let him kiss her tonight. Because he was certainly going to try.

Edward saw the way his lips curved when he smiled, the play of the small muscles around his mouth and wondered again why she had let him kiss her yesterday. Which made her wonder why she had kissed him back and that made her wonder what she was going to do if he tried it again. Because he was going to try again. _Because he liked her._

She sat there and her eyes blinked as she felt it shift within her. An acceptance, reluctant and hesitant but an acceptance of the simple fact that Roy Mustang liked Edward. _Him, her, Edward. _She wanted to pick at it and find ways around it, but she couldn't. Because he had said the words, because he hadn't added any conditions to it and he hadn't apologised for it. It didn't matter that she thought it wrong or inconceivable for him to like her. It was his decision, his choice to like her. Or maybe he hadn't had any choice either and like her, attraction had just decided to grab him too. However it happened, she did have to accept that he was responsible for his own feelings, not her.

'_You wouldn't be walking it alone_' Gracia had said and Edward raised her eyes from his mouth to his eye. Like it or not, agree with it or not, it wasn't all about her, nor even all about him, but about them. _Us,_ she thought. And she couldn't stop the shiver that made its way through her.

"Al?" she asked, almost absently as she still felt the echoes of '_us'_ reverberating inside.

"Yes. He came to Headquarters to find you." Roy replied, wondering at the sudden casualness of her voice and he looked up to meet her eyes. He nearly frowned at the expression in her eyes. The confusion he had seen earlier had disappeared and there was something else there. It was almost the same as when she had looked at him in the restaurant at lunch that day. She was seeing something in him and he wondered what it was.

"What for?"

"I didn't ask him." He wasn't about to tell Edward what he and Al had talked about.

"Probably just wanted to talk." Edward said and looked down at the paper with a small sigh. "We already had plans to meet at eleven."

"Eleven?" Gracia queried. "Ed, it's gone half ten now."

Edward stared at her. "It is?" She pulled her watch out and checked. "Damn, so it is. Al will kill me if I'm late."

"I'll give you a lift back, Edward." Roy said as he watched her quickly scrawl the last few circles.

"I wasn't meeting him there. We were supposed to be at Gracia's." She said as she touched the circles and smiled at Elysia, handing her the last of the flowers.

"We'll go to headquarters, collect him and then I'll take you there." Roy replied.

"You just want to get out of your paperwork." Edward accused him, slightly distracted as she hugged Elysia.

"The chance would be a fine thing." He groaned. "If I don't do it straightaway these days, it transmutes spontaneously into more. It never used to do that on such a grand scale before."

"My heart bleeds for you, really it does, Mustang.' Edward said sarcastically.

"Take care, Edward." Gracia said softly as she hugged her.

"I will, and thanks." Edward smiled at her before she turned around to face Mustang, who was saying good bye to Elysia. "Come on then, Mustang, otherwise I'll tell Al it's your fault I'm late."

"I don't think Al would believe you." Roy said as he hugged Gracia. "I'm not exactly happy with you, Gracia." He whispered in her ear, too low for Edward to hear.

"But Maes is." Gracia whispered back. "Look after her, Roy or I will be very upset with you."

Roy pulled back and smiled at her. "We'll see you on the weekend." Gracia smiled. It might be sooner than that, she thought if Edward decided to call in on their way to the function tonight.

* * *

Sergeant Berent found several inconsistencies between reality and gossip as he sat in Lieutenant-General Mustang's office answering the phones. Major Hawkeye did not punctuate every sentence with well placed shots. Major Havoc did not bet on every fly that crawled up the wall. Captain Breda did have a shogi set on his desk but he did not have it set up in one of several reputed unsolvable games.

He discovered that Major Havoc was correct. The librarians never asked which Lieutenant-Colonel he was looking for, they never even asked for a rank when he rang. The moment he said he was calling from the Lieutenant-General's office, they automatically responded with "Sorry Sir, she's not here at the moment." He noticed that Major Havoc seemed to have a similar understanding with the places he was ringing, although for some reason he seemed to be ringing the hospitals and …was that a police station?

"The Regulations committee is becoming too uptight." Falman stated as he entered the office with a smiling Fuery at his side. "They need to remove the sticks from their asses and get out into the real world."

Havoc and Breda stared at him. Falman was rarely disturbed enough to descend into vulgarity. "Who got up your nose?" Breda asked.

"Colonel Gerin. I think the concept of 'common-sense' completely baffles him." Falman stopped and stared at the new face in the office. "Who are you?"

"Sergeant Berent, Sir."

"He's here to answer phones, Falman." Havoc said with a smile.

"Where is everyone?" Fuery asked as he moved to his desk and put down the drawings he was carrying.

"Looking for the Boss." Havoc replied and they turned to stare at him.

"Where is she?"

"At the hospital." Hawkeye's voice came from the doorway as she and Al returned. Everyone looked at her and Havoc's eyebrow rose.

"The Chief's gone there." He said without inflection. Sergeant Berent didn't understand the looks that flashed around the room.

"Why did she go there?" Fuery asked, curiously.

"I don't know, she didn't tell anyone that." Hawkeye said, although she could make a pretty good guess. As could most of the others.

"Then they should be back here soon," Breda remarked as he leant back in his chair.

"I hope so. Winry was expecting us half an hour ago," Al said with a quick look at the clock.

"Winry got tired of waiting," came another voice in the door and they saw Winry standing there, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. Al smiled and went over to give her a quick hug and she smiled back at him before walking into the office. She put her toolkit and large case on a desk and looked around.

"So, where is she?"

"She'll be here soon." Al replied as he decided how much to tell her.

* * *

Sergeant Berent was confused. This office didn't seem one to inspire the reputation it had, although it wasn't exactly behaving as a normal military office did. The Western Districts had always been a more settled area with few problems, and they had eagerly picked up the stories and gossip that came from Central. Like most military personnel, he went where he was told and when he had been handed the note and told to front up for an interview, he had. When he had read where the interview was, he had immediately recalled every single story he had heard and had been terrified. But he had followed orders and he was aware of a sense of almost disappointment mingled within the relief that this office was not the gateway to Hell he had heard about. And he was stuck here until someone dismissed him and he could go back to Personnel for another posting.

"Let's finish looking at your papers, Sergeant." Hawkeye remarked as she saw him looking rather lost.

"Yes, Sir." He watched as she opened his personnel file again.

"…late and it's all your damned fault, bastard!" An accusing voice had him turning around, along with everyone else.

"I wasn't the one making flowers, Edward." A deep voice replied and two soldiers appeared in the door.

Sergeant Berent recognised them both from reputation alone. The dark haired, one-eyed Lieutenant-General with the arrayed gloves and an amused smirk on his face. The shorter long-haired, golden-eyed blonde walking beside him with a scowl on her face. Her jacket sleeve hung loosely and it took him a moment to realise that she had no arm.

"I would have finished them if you hadn't shown up!" Edward snapped back.

"I see the Chief found you, Boss." Havoc remarked lazily. "He had us running all over the place for you."

Edward stopped and turned to face Mustang. "You had everyone looking for me?" Her eyes narrowed. "I thought you said Al was looking for me."

"If you had left a message as to your whereabouts, it wouldn't have been necessary." Roy said and for a moment she thought she could hear a defensiveness in his voice.

"I don't work here at the moment, bastard. I don't need to tell you where I'm going."

"You still have a responsibility to your staff and to your commanding officer." Roy replied as he walked further, heading into his office.

"I slip out for a couple of hours and you organise a full scale search party? Exactly who is being more responsible here, bastard?" Edward asked as she followed him.

"It was no such thing. You're exaggerating things again." Roy replied and she definitely heard the defensive tone that time. She grinned at his back.

"You over-reacted." She said slowly and he stopped in his doorway before turning to face her.

"I did not."

"You did too." Edward stared at him and her grin grew wider. "Did you ring the police this time, or the hospitals first?"

"Had you left a message, no action would have been necessary." Roy retorted, unwilling to admit that he had over-reacted.

"If I had known you wanted to be kept aware of my every movement, I would have had my schedule sent to you." She smirked at him and he felt his hands tighten.

"Do that next time, Lieutenant-Colonel." He snapped at her.

"Edward did organise to have her absence covered before she left." Hawkeye said casually and Roy's head turned to glare at her.

"I hope you didn't frighten him again, Hawkeye." Ed said casually as Roy turned back to face her.

"He was most helpful. And we should discuss your definition of the chains of command at some point too, Edward." Hawkeye said firmly.

"The one where I do actually outrank you and should be able to use it at some point definition?" Edward replied and the office looked from one to the other.

"Precisely."

"We will." Edward smiled but her eyes stayed fixed on Hawkeye's and didn't smile as much as her face did. They nodded at each other and then Edward turned back to Mustang. "I'll be going now."

"Not yet, Edward."

"Do not start this again, bastard." Edward told him. "Al and Winry are here, so we will be going now."

"You're not going to use my office again?" Roy asked, almost sarcastically as his eyebrow rose.

"No. It's not suitable." Edward snapped. She did not want to discuss this with him.

"It was suitable yesterday." He pursued the matter and Ed fisted her hand.

"There's nowhere for Sis to recover in there, General." Al spoke up and Edward frowned at him, even as she felt grateful that he had fielded the question. "Re-attachment is always more painful." He added and ignored his sister's low growl as he turned to her. "Well, it is and you know that. There's no couch anymore."

"I know where there's a couch." Sergeant Berent said before he could stop himself and then cringed as everyone looked at him.

"Who the hell are you?" Edward asked him.

"Sergeant Berent, Sir."

"What sort of couch, Sergeant?" Hawkeye asked him.

"There's two actually. In General Lin's office next door. I don't know what they look like."

"Jean, Breda." She said and they stood up.

"On it. Come on Sergeant, you too" Havoc said, and as soon as Berent joined them, they left.

"We don't need to do this here," Edward protested. "We can go to Gracia's."

"Do you want your arm back or not, Ed?" Winry demanded. "I didn't carry it all the way here just to have to carry it all the way back."

"Of course I want it back. Why are you here anyway?"

"That's why Al came looking for you. I got it finished early and he came to see you and organise an earlier time." Winry replied. "The General's right, you should leave a message next time."

"Don't you start too, Winry." Ed warned in a light voice but her eyes darkened. She was beginning to feel cornered and it was not a feeling she liked at all. Knowing that Mustang was standing there, listening to all this did not help either. She had hoped not to be anywhere near him when she had her arm re-attached. It wasn't something she wanted him to see.

Havoc re-entered the office carrying one end of a long leather couch. Sergeant Berent held the other end.

"Now_ that_ is a couch," Fuery exclaimed as it went past him. It was easily three feet longer than the last one and it looked almost new. "And there's two of them?"

"Yeah." Havoc replied. "You really are going to need a bigger office now, Chief." He grinned as Mustang moved out of the doorway so they could enter his office and set the couch down before going back for the other one.

Winry carried her kit into the office and put it on Mustang's desk. She knew Edward wouldn't want to start until the other couch was here and the door closed. She also knew that apart from Al and herself, no-one else would be allowed in here until it was over.

She watched as the new sergeant and Havoc carried in the other couch and Edward appeared in the doorway with Al. Edward walked around and sat down on the couch. She smiled.

"These are comfortable."

"So glad they meet with your approval, Edward." Mustang said as he came over to examine the couches, running his hand over the soft leather and her face darkened.

"What are you doing now, bastard?"

"This is my office, Edward."

She looked at him and he saw the shadow in her eyes. She did not want him to push this one. This was not something she was prepared to share at all. They stared at each other for a long moment. If he pushed now he risked losing before he had really begun and he knew it. He nodded and the shadows faded slightly.

He stepped close and lightly brushed his fingers across her bangs. "I'll make sure no-one disturbs you." He said quietly.

"Thank you." Her voice was equally quiet as she felt the whispering touch of his gloved fingers against her forehead. The look in his eye stopped her from objecting. _Human_.

* * *

Sergeant Berent watched as Lieutenant-General Mustang closed his office door behind him and sat at one of the desks to begin on his paperwork. The rest of his staff merely exchanged looks and went back to work as well. Berent also noticed that they occasionally looked towards the closed door, but he could hear nothing.

"How did you know the couches were available, Sergeant?" Havoc asked.

"While I was waiting outside for my interview, Major. One of the secretary's and I got to talking. She said they were moving because General Lin won't be returning due to some injury he suffered."

"That was convenient." Havoc remarked. "Maybe we should just move into his office."

"Then you'd have to move the couches back." Breda said lazily.

"We're going to have to move them wherever we go. Next door is easier than halfway across the compound."

"There are several offices we can have, Havoc. You want to come with me tomorrow and see which is better?" Fuery asked as he looked up from his drawings.

"As long as we do it in the morning. We're at Gracia's for the afternoon."

"Okay."

"I want a window." Mustang said without looking up.

"No window." Hawkeye replied automatically.

"A large window." Mustang added. "With a view not of the parade ground."

"An interior office." Hawkeye stated as she initialled a page of Berent's file. Mustang upped the ante as he opened another report.

"With windows in both offices."

* * *

Edward let her breath out as the door closed behind Mustang and turned to see both Al and Winry staring at her. She blushed and glared at them.

"What?" Winry grinned at her and Al shook his head.

"You have no idea at all do you, Sis?"

"I don't need you to tell me that, Al." She groused at him as she sat up straighter and took off her jacket and shirt. Winry opened her case and took out Ed's arm.

"I've secured the cables slightly differently this time, Ed. They won't lose their tension as quickly and it should make the pneumatics quieter as well."

"It's already quiet, Winry." Ed replied as she looked at it.

"It never hurts to try to make it better." She said and walked across to stand in front of Ed. Ed leant back and turned slightly as Winry knelt on the couch beside her. She placed the arm into the port and let it slip into the grooves. Ed tensed and pressed back against the couch as she gritted her teeth. They looked at each other and then Edward nodded. Winry pushed the arm deeper into the port and connections clicked into place. Ed swallowed and took a deep breath before nodding again. Winry pulled the locking lever and Ed arched back with a grunt as her shoulder burst into fire as nerves locked back into the arm.

Ed shook as her nerves burnt and took deep breaths as the pain pulsed through her. She could hear Al and Winry talking quietly and she slipped back against the couch, knowing it would stop hurting soon. She swallowed and closed her eyes. Her shoulder eased slightly and she curled her fingers slowly, feeling her nerves twitch.

"Ed?" Winry asked gently.

"It's fine, Win." Edward replied as she opened her eyes. "Just a bit tired, that's all."

"Here's your shirt." Winry helped her sling it around her shoulders and she slipped her left arm into its sleeve, leaving the right arm free for now. "Can you move your arm?" They both watched Ed lift her arm, wincing as her nerves pulled. She moved her fingers and twisted her wrist. Everything felt normal but she still felt the twitches from re-attachment.

"It doesn't look I did anything to it at all." Ed said as she looked at her arm through half closed eyes.

"Of course it doesn't." Winry said proudly. "You think I would allow it to?"

"No, of course not." Ed looked at her. "Thanks Winry."

"Just don't break it again." Then she smiled. "You're welcome." Winry went to close her case up and Al moved over to sit beside his sister.

"Hey Al. Sorry I missed you earlier." Ed said as she smiled at him. He could see the twitches that went through her as her nerves adjusted and knew it would be awhile before they completely ceased. Her eyes were heavy in her white face and she looked very tired.

"It's okay." He paused briefly. "Are you going to be alright, Sis?" he asked softly.

"I'll be fine. You know me." She leant against him. "It'll stop hurting soon."

"That's not what I meant." He protested and she laughed softly, her eyelids drooping.

"I know, Al, but it'll be fine." Her words slurred slightly as her eyes closed completely. "I'm not walking it alone." She murmured just as sleep claimed her.

Al looked at Winry his eyes wide before they both stared at the sleeping blonde.

* * *

Hawkeye handed the file back to Sergeant Berent with a smile.

"My apologies that it has taken longer than expected, Sergeant."

"It's not a problem, Major. I realise that some things just can't be avoided." Sergeant Berent stood up and saluted. "Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're welcome, Sergeant. You will hear from Personnel when a decision is made."

"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir." He left the office and everyone watched him leave.

"The best out of a bad bunch so far," Hawkeye said as she rubbed her forehead.

"He was useful, I'll give him that." Havoc commented. "His phone manner's good. And he was helpful about the couches."

"He can answer the phone and find couches. Now that's what I want on my personnel file." Breda remarked as he stretched in his chair. "I still think Schieska would be good for the job. Instead of all these outsiders."

"You can't take Schieska out of Intel at the moment. If you did, the whole department would fall apart. She's the only one holding it together." Hawkeye told him. She had already considered it. "If anything, she should get promoted. She'd be able to have more control over there."

"I've recommended it," Mustang said absently as he continued to work through the files. He was half listening to them and concentrating on the files. The other half was hoping Edward was alright. He knew she was no stranger to having her automail attached and he was slightly puzzled as to why he should be worried over it. He knew it hurt and that it was painful. He knew Edward would not show it either, but that didn't stop him from knowing that she still felt it. And that kept him worrying.

"There are still seven more possibilities." Hawkeye looked at her list. "They have interviews Monday and Tuesday."

"Why so many?" Havoc asked. "It's not like any of them appear to want to work here."

"That's because you terrify them." Hawkeye said sternly and he grinned at her.

"I know babe, but it does sort out the bunnies from the dogs."

"They've all been rabbits so far," Breda commented. "Where have all the dogs gone?"

Mustang looked up and let his eye run over each one of them.

"That's why I accepted this, Breda. We're going to bring the dogs back."

* * *

"I'm sorry about lunch, Winry." Al said quietly as he let Ed slip from his shoulder and settled her onto the couch properly. Winry handed him Ed's jacket and he put it over her.

"It's ok, Al. I know you want to stay here."

"But I promised you we'd go."

"We're here for a few more days, Al. We can go another day."

Al looked at his sister and then at Winry. He frowned. It wasn't as if he was choosing between the two of them, he thought, so why did it feel like it? Ed was asleep, he had seen her sleep lots of times. She was still twitching but it was fading now. She wouldn't sleep for long and then she had work to go to. He and Winry would go back to Gracia's and then help in the evening with everyone else. Winry had wanted to look at the shops after their lunch and he had been looking forward to sharing it with her. His frown deepened as he looked at Edward. But he had wanted to spend time with her as well.

She had left him to come here, to find a place for herself while he had found his. She had never once made him feel as if his moving on had been something bad or wrong or regretted. And he would have known if she had. She had accepted it and let him go. Perhaps he had to do something similar. She was making a place here for herself and while some of it might not be what he was comfortable with or accepted completely, it was still her choice. He couldn't influence her decisions. Now he knew how hard it had been for her to let him do things on his own.

"We're going to lunch, Winry." He said as he stood up and looked at her.

"Al…what about Ed?"

Al swallowed and then firmed his jaw. "…The General can watch her… for me …for us."

"Al." Winry stood up and walked over to him. He reached out and clasped her hand. He shook his head and his lips wavered for a moment.

"She will always be my sister, Winry. It's not leaving her behind, it's just letting her go." Winry wrapped her arms around him and held him. She had known it would happen one day, she hadn't expected it to happen today. Granny had told her to keep out of it. She had even considered maybe doing automail work in Central for awhile just so Al could be near Ed. But now it seemed he had found a way to accept it on his own terms.

"I love you, Alphonse Elric." She said softly.

* * *

When the inner door opened, Roy looked up and frowned when only Al and Winry appeared. Al walked across and looked at the file covered desk before he looked up and met the General's eye.

"Ed's sleeping and I promised Winry I'd take her for lunch. Would you watch her for me?" He kept his voice even, but the grey eyes were slightly hesitant and Roy stood up.

"Yes, of course." He said without thinking twice. Al was not completely at ease but something had changed and Roy wasn't sure what it was. After being so protective this morning, he was now asking Roy to watch over Edward?

Roy gathered several files and entered his office. Edward was lying on the couch, twitching slightly and he frowned.

"The twitching should stop soon." Al said quietly. "It's an after-effect of having the automail re-attached. She should only sleep about an hour or so."

"I'll look after her." Roy said slowly and as Al turned to leave the office, he added, "thank you."

Al walked out feeling almost as if he had just fed his sister to the wolves.

Roy put the files on his desk and walked over to look at Edward. He squatted down and brushed the bangs from her forehead. They were damp from sweat and her skin was white. The twitching was spasmodic and it looked like there were shadows under her eyes. He straightened the jacket covering her and removed his, placing it slightly lower to give her more cover.

He let his fingers slide down the side of her face and she twitched. He smiled and stood up, going to his desk and starting on the files. He often found himself staring at her instead of his paperwork.

* * *

It was closer to three hours before Edward stretched and began to wake up. She blinked herself awake as she shifted on the couch. She moved slowly as her shoulder ached and she looked around, her eyes still hazy. His office and he was working at his desk.

He looked up and saw her watching him. He smiled.

"Good afternoon sleepyhead." He said lightly and she blinked. That didn't sound like the Mustang she knew. And why was he only wearing a shirt? She started to sit up, trying to clear the sleep from her head. The jacket slipped down and she realised she had two jackets in her lap. Hers and his. She pushed them away and swung her legs around to sit up properly. She blinked at him and then at the clock.

"How long was I out for?" She asked and the words sounded rough.

"About three hours." He said and watched as she rolled her shoulder. It was the first time he had seen her complete arm and he had little time to see anything as she pulled her shirt up and slid her arm into the sleeve. His single eye met her golden ones and she paused before she began to do her buttons up.

"I'll go to the office. Terlat must be wondering what's happened to me."

"Hawkeye rang him. They're managing without you."

"Where'd Al go to?"

"He and Winry went to lunch and I believe shopping was mentioned." Or so Hawkeye had told him when she had come in with more files for him to work through.

Edward shuddered. "Rather him than me." She saw him grin. He was probably remembering how she had ranted about the one time she had gone shopping. Which reminded her of why she had had to go shopping, and that in return reminded her of this evening's event. She ran her hand through her hair and tightened the tie in her tail.

As if he had read her mind, he held up a sheet of paper. "The details for tonight have arrived."

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"It could be worse." He replied reflectively.

"That's not very helpful, Mustang." She stood up and staggered slightly, her head spinning a bit before she straightened and rolled her shoulder again. Damned re-attachments.

"Are you alright?" He asked as she began to walk to the desk.

"I'm fine." She held her hand out and he gave her the paper. She looked at it, reading quickly. Dinner and mingling with a few speeches in between. Dinner she could handle, mingling she hated. She handed it back to him. "Yes, it could be worse."

"I'll pick you up at six-thirty, we have to be there by six-forty-five apparently. The Fuhrer says we will be met by the Councillor and then into the main room for a seven o'clock start."

Ed frowned. She hadn't exactly promised that she would call by the hospital, but it felt like one. Fifteen minutes was not going to be long enough, but going earlier would mean she'd have to spend longer in his company. Which wasn't a bad thing, the little voice in her head told her.

"Edward?"

"Can you pick me up at six?" She asked abruptly.

"Of course, but why?"

"I kind of promised Gracia I'd call in on the way." She said reluctantly and he smiled.

"We can do that easily. I'm sure Elysia would be pleased to see you all dressed up as well."

She frowned at him. "How did you know it was for that?"

"Maes used to do it. Before they got married, if ever we had to put on formal wear he would always make sure we called past Gracia's just so he could show her." He blinked and suddenly realised what he had said as he saw her eyes widen. He wondered where that had come from. He never shared things like that. Not with anyone. His hands shook slightly and he looked down at the page again.

_Human_. Edward looked at his lowered head and then looked at her hands.

"I knew someone who reminded me of Hughes a lot while I was…away. He liked my landlady. She had a small store on the ground floor. He always came by, every time he got a new jacket or trousers. He was such a peacock at times. But he could never speak to her. He was too shy and I would wait for him just so he'd have a reason to stop and talk. So he could at least see her." Her voice was even and quiet and Roy heard the sorrow in it. "I miss him too."

He kept his head down as he heard her footsteps moving away. "See you at six… Roy."

* * *

Edward closed the office door behind her and shrugged into her jacket.

"All good now, Boss?" Havoc asked as she appeared.

"Yep, all done." Ed smiled and looked around the office. "I guess I should go and at least pretend to finish the day in my office."

"Al said he would see you tomorrow afternoon at Gracia's, Ed." Hawkeye said.

"Great. It'll be good to have Elysia out of there at last." Everyone nodded. "Okay, I will see you all tomorrow." She smiled, waving as she left the office.

Havoc looked at Hawkeye.

"You didn't tell her about the flowers."

"She doesn't need to know. Not until we know."

"It's not a bad thing, Hawkeye," Breda said.

"No, it's not bad, but it is strange."

"Won't her staff tell her about it?" Fuery asked.

"No, I asked them not to."

Everyone stared at her. "You _asked_ them, babe?" Havoc spluttered.

"I even said please." Hawkeye smiled as she tapped her gun and they all laughed.

* * *

Author's Note: At forty pages the longest chapter I've ever written. I promise never to write them this long again. I had hoped to get them at least to the function, but as you can see they all decided to do a lot of talking. And there will probably be a fair amount of dialogue in the next chapter too.

Thank you so much for enjoying and reading my monster. It really is impossible to describe exactly how much I appreciate your comments and support. Kiitos.

silken :)


	27. Civics and Civility

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 27: Civics and Civility**

Roy kept his head down after the door had closed behind her. The papers on his desk were slightly blurred in front of his eye and he blinked to refocus. He had spoken of Maes and he rarely did that, even with Gracia. But it had slipped out without even a second thought, and so easily as if he had always spoken like that to her.

Just what was happening to him? A simple sentence suddenly had him questioning everything. Edward was the cause, the reason. Edward was what was happening to him. Edward and this _like_ that came with her. It was developing in ways he hadn't expected.

The irrational anger at the hospital and the over-reaction to her not being in her office. He had over-reacted several times this week because of her. At the police station and when he had destroyed his couch.

He had liked women before. He knew what it was supposed to be like, and this was nothing like what it was supposed to be. His control was slipping every time he was near her. He had always been able to control every word, every action and every reaction when it had come to relationships. But not with Edward. He was saying things and doing things that just seemed so out of character for him. And it had gotten worse since he had kissed her.

He had known he had a problem controlling what he said to her, but he hadn't realised just how much control he had lost until he had mentioned Maes so casually. He had frozen so completely at that moment that it had taken him a few minutes to process her reply. And when he did, he had focused on one thing.

She had called him 'Roy.'

* * *

Edward headed to her office with a slight frown. She had used his name and it hadn't brought the world to a complete stop, although it had felt like it. If he hadn't looked so shocked at his own words she wouldn't have said it. She wouldn't have said anything. But he had and she had and it couldn't be taken back now.

Which left her with the question she was really beginning to hate. What happened next? What was she supposed to do? Call him Roy every time? She doubted that. She couldn't see that happening at all. The first time he pissed her off, she'd be swearing at him and calling him a bastard. Maybe she could use it like Riza did. On social occasions, or when they were in friend-mode. Which was happening more often than she was prepared to admit.

And would he want to know more about what she had let slip? She had managed to avoid discussing her time on the other side in any great detail so far. She had talked about it to Al, Winry and Pinako when she had first returned but she had barely spoken of it since. Those four years were like a separate life. She didn't mind not having to discuss them, there were things there that she hadn't forgiven herself for yet. And it was easy to distract them with describing the differences in technology or places, rather than be specific about what she had done there.

But Mustang was going to be different, she could feel that. He was going to want to know because he liked her. And there wasn't a damned thing she could do about that. She frowned. Did that mean she could ask him questions too, she wondered. It could almost be a form of equivalence. She had never hesitated to ask questions before and he had always given her some sort of answer and he had always demanded answers from her. Only now the questions were going to be about things she didn't know if she wanted to talk about. What if he asked and she couldn't answer? What if he did and he didn't like the answers? And if she asked him something, would he answer or not? Was she prepared for whatever those answers might be?

Because it was one thing to want to ask, it was a very different thing to be able to accept the answers.

Her breath puffed out. This was getting complicated again. She knew she should have called him a bastard.

* * *

Roy lifted his head and looked at the closed door. She had deliberately used his name and she hadn't used it facetiously, rudely or even smart-assedly. How much had she understood, he wondered. There had been recognition and sorrow in her voice. She probably understood more than he wanted. She knew how he felt about Maes. She knew he hadn't forgiven himself for that yet.

She had talked about the other side and that was something she did as rarely as he spoke about Maes. And he knew that there were events there she hadn't forgiven herself for as well. That night in the library had opened more doors than he had realised at the time. And it went both ways.

She knew he was flawed, she knew how he saw himself. She had accused him of denial once and he had resented her for it, she had seen him more clearly than anyone and she had still accepted him as he was. She hadn't judged him.

He leant back in his chair. If there was one person who would never judge him for what he had or had not done, it was her. She used his name because she saw _him_. He felt the tremor go through him. She saw _him_ and she liked _him_. It had been a long time since a single thought had terrified him as much as this one did.

* * *

Edward entered her office, and in her distracted state missed the looks that went between Cal and Terlat. When she sat down and simply started on the files, their eyes got very wide and they looked at each other in disbelief.

Major Hawkeye's visit to the office earlier had been brief and to the point. Terlat had walked in and found Cal sweating and pale, but insisting he didn't know the Lieutenant-Colonel's whereabouts. Terlat's appearance had saved him from having to fabricate a lie just to appease the red-eyed she-devil of a Major.

Terlat understood straightaway why Ed had said he could tell Hawkeye if he really had to. Refusing to tell just wasn't an option, but knowing he had permission to tell took away the sting of feeling he had let his Lieutenant-Colonel down. Although he wasn't quite sure how he ended up telling the Major that the Lieutenant-Colonel was the officer he had been assigned to, that his first loyalties were to her and that only because she had permitted him to say anything was he actually saying anything.

Terlat didn't think anyone had ever spoken to the Major like that before, if the way ex-Major Elric reacted was any indication. He had gone white and taken several steps back, not to mention the cringing and almost hunching over as if he expected an explosion to occur. Even Cal had been trying to sidle away from his desk and towards the door.

If a knock at the door hadn't interrupted them, Terlat wasn't sure if he would've still been here. They had turned to see a private standing there with a small bunch of flowers. He had looked extremely uncomfortable at the sudden attention.

"_Yes, Private?" Hawkeye had taken control instinctively._

"_Uh, these were left at the front gate for Lieutenant-Colonel Elric, Sir."_

"_Thank you, Private. We'll take care of them for you." Hawkeye had replied with a quick tilt of her head and Terlat had gone forward to accept them. The private had left after a salute and they had all looked at the flowers._

"_Everlastings this time," Cal had said without thinking._

"_This time?" Al had asked. "Someone is sending my sister flowers?" He frowned. "She never mentioned that."_

"_Some one sent daffodils last week." Terlat had replied briefly and he missed the light frown that crossed Hawkeye's face. _

"_Who's sending them?" Al had asked as he had looked at the very small bunch. "There's only five of them here, it's hardly a bouquet or anything. And there's no note."_

"_We don't know."_

"_Let's not tell the Lieutenant-Colonel about this." Hawkeye had said firmly and they had stared at her. Al's eyes had opened wide but she had shaken her head and he had said nothing. "Edward does not need to know about them until we know who sent them."_

"_But Major…" Terlat had begun to protest._

"_The Lieutenant-Colonel has enough worries without having to concern herself over who might be sending her flowers." Terlat had stared at her, wondering why she was being so insistent about something that seemed so minor. But there no sign of anything but determination in the sherry coloured eyes and he knew that the Major had so far always seemed to have the Lieutenant-Colonel's well-being in mind. _

"_Major, I do not see why we need to stay quiet about this. If there is something wrong, then shouldn't the Lieutenant-Colonel be informed about it?"_

"_The way the Lieutenant-Colonel would react to such news would not be…conducive to getting any actual results."_

_Al had laughed. "Be honest, Hawkeye. Ed would be into everything, she'd never get anything else done."_

_Hawkeye had almost grinned as her face lightened. "I was thinking more of structural damage, Al."_

_Everyone had grinned at that remark._

"_So, Sergeant, please don't tell Edward about this." Hawkeye had said and Terlat had nodded as her fingers had strayed to her sidearm._

"_Yes Major."_

Terlat watched as Edward went through another file. The Major was right he thought. Something was bothering his Lieutenant-Colonel and maybe she didn't need any extra distractions at the moment. He wondered how long it would take for her to realise that the file she was going through was one she had completed yesterday.

* * *

"No, Winry!" Al stood between her and the door.

"Al, move. I have to do this."

Al shook his head. "No. Ed doesn't need us for this one."

Winry frowned and resorted to common-sense, her last and most potent form of attack when dealing with an Elric.

"Al, she does need us, or me at least. This is Edward we're talking about. He didn't have a clue as he was growing up and I doubt _she_ has much of one either. She's going out to a function and you know how little an effort Ed always puts into them. She needs us there to help her get ready. We have to make sure she does this properly, that she's fit to be seen."

"She went to the Ball, Win. I think she can manage."

"But she had Gracia and Schieska to help her for that one. This time there's absolutely no-one." Blue eyes looked at him. "It's our _duty_, Al. You don't want her to give a bad impression to the Fuhrer and all the other people there. And think of the General too. Surely he'd want to see Ed looking really lovely and well turned out. You always told me about how glamorous the women were that he went out with. We have to make sure Ed is better than anyone else… ever."

She paused and Al held back a sigh. She was so determined to go and help Ed get ready. And Al knew that if Winry appeared at Ed's dorm to do just that, they'd be rebuilding the dormitories and most of Headquarters as well.

"No, Winry. We're going to stay here and when the others get here, we're going to help get everything ready for Elysia's homecoming." He said firmly. The blue eyes wavered and her lips dropped slightly. He didn't know how she did it but she could make her eyes well up and look absolutely heart-broken. He was just glad she rarely did it. He hadn't been able to win against it yet and she knew it.

"And Ed's going to want to look good for the General as well. You know how it is when you like someone, you always want to look the best you can. Ed's not going to want to look anything but fabulous." She stared at him and kept her watery eyes fixed on his. His face cracked slightly and she knew she had won. But just before she could smile in triumph, he collapsed to the floor. Her eyes went wide and she knelt down quickly.

He rolled over, his arms clutching around his stomach and she frowned at the strangled noises he was making. She turned him over, saw his red face and then realised he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" She demanded and Al just rolled back, giving up trying to hold it in. He laughed outright and when he saw her still frowning, he kept on laughing. Winry sat back and waited. There was no hurrying him when he laughed like this. She had not expected this at all. All she wanted was to go and help Ed. The fact that she was curious and wanted to talk about this strange relationship Ed had somehow gotten involved herself into really didn't count that much. It was a sisterly thing to want to help your sister-to-be get ready for a night out. Or so she kept telling herself.

It took Al five minutes to regain his self-control although he kept smiling as he sat up and took a few deep breaths. He chuckled lightly as he met her glaring eyes and reached over and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side. He lightly kissed her forehead as he settled her beside him.

"Winry, Ed is not going to want to look fabulous, regardless of the General or anything. If it wasn't a function, I would bet that she'd deliberately wear her jeans and shirt… she'd be more likely to wear her uniform than want to dress up. You know how she feels about that sort of thing. Liking the General is not going to change that."

Winry sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do know that. But I just want to be a part of this, Al. I mean, this is _Ed_ we're talking about here. Do you know how strange it is to think of Edward in anything like a relationship of any kind with anyone except you?" She turned to look at him. "All my life I have known you both. We grew up together, we did everything together, but it was always you two and then me. You looked out for Ed first and he did the same for you. When…when things happened and you left, again it was you two first and I was the afterthought. I know you didn't mean it like that," she added quickly as she saw his mouth open.

"But it felt like it at times. And when Ed disappeared and it was just us, I felt guilty." She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. "I felt guilty because I was glad you were here, that it wasn't you who had disappeared. And as you got better, it was still just us and it felt like I was finally, truly part of it." She swallowed. "When Ed came back, I was happy. Really happy for you both. Because even with me, you were never really complete without him… her there. And then you_ still_ made me feel part of it. I hadn't lost anything because you were there and I was an idiot for not seeing it before."

"Winry, you're not an idiot. You're the only thing that kept me going, the only one who kept me alive after Ed disappeared. Without you, I never would have survived. I love you and I love Edward. Between the two of you, you own me heart and soul."

Winry blinked as her eyes burnt slightly. "You're going sappy on me, Al."

"I know." He grinned softly at her. "And you love it." She laughed.

"Yes." She said with a show of reluctance. "But Al, don't you want to know more about Ed and the General? To help her have something like what we have?"

"As Hawkeye said earlier, those two will make it up as they go along. I really don't think we can do anything about it. And you know Ed will resent you trying." Winry made a small 'pfft' sound and Al laughed. "They'll be here tomorrow. Just don't make too much of a scene."

"You worry too much, Al. It'll be fine."

* * *

Roy didn't feel nervous until he left the office to go home and get ready for the evening. The moment he slipped into his car and asked the driver to stop at the nearest florist was when the nerves hit him.

It was a civic function, there was going to be a hundred people there. Why would he be feeling nervous, he wondered. He was going out to a civic function, something he had avoided for the last four years. One reason. Edward Elric was coming with him was the second reason. He was being put on display, which was yet another reason. As was she, and normally he would have looked at that and known it to be the biggest single worry there was. Putting Edward on display was almost equal to committing suicide or inciting mass destruction.

But not this time. This time it was Edward herself that had him nervous. This was new territory for both of them. Four years ago, he would've told Edward to shut up, sit down, be polite and chew with his mouth closed. She had grown up, none of that applied to her anymore. It should be easier, but it wasn't. Because he liked her. He wanted her to be comfortable, to not have any regrets for having put herself into this. Most of all, by the end of the night he wanted to know that she still liked him, that she trusted him.

He was still thinking about it as he got out of the car at the florists and entered the small shop. His nose wrinkled at the scents and he looked around.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, a corsage please." He asked as he looked past the assistant to the cabinets.

"Any particular flower, or colour, Sir?"

Roy blinked and looked at the assistant. Medium height, young, short brown hair, blue eyes and a badge. She smiled at his rather blank expression.

"Did you want it to match the dress, Sir?"

Roy let his breath out and frowned slightly. Since when did getting a corsage become an expedition? Four years ago, a corsage was either a white rose or orchid, with a small bit of greenery and a matching white satin ribbon. He didn't know what colour Edward's dress was going to be. He didn't think she'd care about whether it matched her dress, her hair or her eyes. He didn't even know if she was going to accept it in the first place.

"Let me show you what we have," she said as he remained silent and she bit her lip to stop from smiling. For someone so handsome he seemed a bit lost. Or maybe he was just nervous, she thought. Maybe it was a special night and he didn't want to do anything wrong. She led the way to a cool cabinet where several corsages were lying on chilled shelves.

He looked at them and blinked. The girl hadn't been lying when she had mentioned the colours. Red, yellow and pink as well as white ones lay there. He looked at them carefully but his eye kept coming back to the white ones.

"White I think." He said slowly as he considered the matter. "That one." He pointed at a small orchid.

"Not a rose, Sir?" She asked in surprise and he shook his head.

"No, I want that one." He smiled slightly. She opened the door and pulled it out. It was small and cool and he watched as she wrapped it carefully. He paid for it and smiled at her as he left and got back into his car.

She watched him leave and shook her head. There was no accounting for taste she thought. Even the silver ribbon had not been able to save that orchid from looking flawed with that yellow streak across one of the slender petals.

* * *

Edward closed her dormitory door behind her and sighed with relief. A quick clap sealed it completely before she walked over and dropped onto the couch. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into the lumpy cushions.

She was going to make sure Al got the best wedding present ever. And possibly a birthday present to match, she thought. If anyone was worth their weight in gold, it was her brother. Somehow he had persuaded Winry not to come and help her get ready. Somewhere along the line, he had learnt to perform miracles.

Although Edward wasn't so sure she was going to survive long enough to actually be present at either event after hanging up on Riza Hawkeye.

_Edward looked at the clock with a small grimace. Five minutes and she could leave and then she had all the fun of getting ready for the evening. When the phone rang, she had hurriedly picked it up, hoping it would help delay the inevitable._

"_Edward." Hawkeye's voice was cool and smooth in her ear._

"_Hawkeye. What a surprise, I was just about to leave."_

"_Yes, I know. I wanted to catch you before you did."_

"_What's up? Is there a problem?" Ed had frowned. What had the bastard done now?_

"_It's about this evening…"_

"_They cancelled it?" Ed had asked with barely hidden eagerness._

"_No, they haven't done that." She had heard the grin in Riza's voice._

"_So, what is it then?"_

"_I hear that Winry won't be able to come around, so I wanted to know what time you'll be at your dorm and I'll be there."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Winry's not going to be there." There had been a frown in Hawkeye's voice._

"_I wasn't expecting her to be here anyway, Hawkeye." Ed had replied in a confused manner._

"_Well she said that she couldn't make it, something about Al not allowing it apparently, and could I help instead and I agreed."_

"_I don't need any help. I'll be fine."_

"_Edward, it's an important occasion."_

"_Riza, it's just a civic thing. I'll be fine, I won't embarrass anyone." Ed had frowned. Did they think she was going to do something stupid? Where everyone could see her? _

"_You'll still need help to get ready, Edward. We can discuss this when I'm there."_

_Edward had blinked and stared at the phone. Hawkeye had not just said that, had she? She didn't need any help to get ready. And wait… Edward went back and ran over the first bit of the call. Winry had intended to come over and help? And Al hadn't allowed it? Ed let her breath out, she had the best brother in the world._

"_Edward? Are you still there?"_

"_Umm, I really don't need any help to get ready."_

"_I'm sure you can manage Edward, but it's better to be safe."_

"_Riza, no. I can do this. I don't need you or Winry for this."_

"_Edward…"  
_

"_No, Riza. You're supposed to be helping get things ready for Elysia. Much as I appreciate the offer, it's not needed."_

"_Edward, we need to talk about this."_

"_Riza, there's really nothing to discuss. If there are any problems I will call you, but there won't be." And Ed had put the receiver back into its cradle and buried her face in her hands. _

Edward looked at the sealed door. She wasn't going to open it until it was time to leave. She wasn't going to answer any knocking or gunshots. Why had Winry and Riza thought she needed help with this? It wasn't as if she didn't know how to dress herself. She knew how to put a dress on, she could brush her hair. She didn't need the help. If there was a problem then Gracia would tell her later. And it would be fixed there and then.

They probably wanted to talk about Mustang. She snorted. Like she was going to talk to either of them about him. It had been hard enough being coherent when talking to Gracia, the thought of discussing this with Winry made her shiver. And she wasn't sure if she could discuss this with Riza just yet. Gracia was more motherly, Riza wasn't. Riza still had a tendency to lay down the law and Ed didn't want any of that. Not when she was still trying to work things out.

Ed pulled out her watch and swore. She rolled off the couch and went to the bedroom. She was going to be late if she didn't move now. She could worry about them tomorrow. As long as she didn't allow herself to get cornered by either one, she should be safe. She hoped.

She pulled the dress out of the wardrobe and laid it on the bed. She stared at it and wondered why her stomach was suddenly feeling uneasy. She could do this. She lifted her left hand and saw it shaking. She swallowed hard. The bastard better be nervous too, she thought, because if he's not, then I'll make sure he is.

* * *

Roy prowled around his apartment. All dressed up and ready to go. And he still had half an hour before he was due to pick Edward up. What was he supposed to do while he waited? He had tried reading and managed four words before he had started pacing again. He had looked at the whiskey bottle and decided not to even have a sniff of it. He had checked his jacket was lint free twice. He had made sure he had the corsage safely by the door with his keys so he wouldn't forget it three times.

He had transferred his ribbon bar from his uniform to his jacket. He had his watch chain showing at his hip. He ran his hand through his hair. The nerves were getting worse and he hated it. This was not how it should be. He frowned and made his way to the single French window and opened it.

Early evening colours were streaking across the sky and the air felt cool. He leant against the frame and wondered what Edward was doing right now. Would she still be getting ready, or was she all dressed and waiting as well? Was she as nervous as he was? Would she be reading as she waited or pacing? Would she have her hair up or down?

He sighed as his hand went through his hair again. If this was what he was like for a civic function, what would he have been doing if this had been a real date? He closed the window and went to tidy his hair again. He hoped she had it down this time. With no pins.

* * *

Edward was halfway down the stairs when she stopped and cursed. Damn, this whole thing was making her stupid, she thought. Stupid and late. She took a deep breath and let it out before starting to walk down the stairs again, carefully judging each step.

Every day she went up and down the stairs, she had no patience or desire to take the lift. Now that she sat at a desk for most of the day, the stairs had become part of her exercises. Most people were taking the lift now since she had started to do that. Mainly because Edward didn't just walk up and down the stairs in an orderly normal fashion, she found other ways as well. Jumping down them, four at a time, using the railing to skip the landings and drop to the next flight, running up them two at a time. All accompanied by the occasional curse and continual loud echoing thump of her boots.

So when she had left her dorm, all dressed up, she had automatically gone to the stairs and discovered that going down stairs in heels was very different to going down them in boots. She now found herself watching where each foot was going, trying to make sure the whole shoe made contact with the step. Her hand was holding onto the railing. Several times she felt herself wobble, a few times she put her foot sideways on the step to make sure she didn't fall off. This had to be the most humiliating thing she had ever had to go through since becoming female. She was very grateful no-one else was around to see this.

It was like having to learn to walk again. It was a whole new experience. Walking in heels on flat surfaces had been easy compared to this. But she'd only worn these heels once before and that had been for the dancing lesson with Mustang. Her uniform shoes and the ones that had gone with the ball-gown had been lower. She was very tempted to slip them off and go running down the stairs in her normal manner but for some reason it just didn't seem right this time. She looked around, No-one was here and she was running behind time. She could make up the time and no-one would ever know. But I would, a little voice said and she frowned at it. Why was this different?

It wasn't a date, it was an official function. She was part of an official group, it wasn't just her and Mustang. What she did, what she looked like was going to reflect on all of them this time. Was running in her usual haphazard way how she wanted to start the evening? It hadn't stopped her the morning of the parade and that had been in the mess hall in front of everyone. But she wasn't in her uniform now, she was in a dress, with heels and with who knew how many butterflies in her stomach.

And that was the other reason she was convinced she had become incredibly stupid. She had no idea what she looked like. Mirrors had never played a big part in her life. They'd never really had any part in her life. The last time she had really looked in a mirror had been the night of the ball and events after that had overshadowed that moment of seeing just how female she now was. Since then, it had been uniforms and jeans and the small bathroom mirror was barely noticed.

Even tonight, she had showered and changed and not really thought of the mirror. Putting on a dress was not something she was comfortable with and she been in too much of a hurry to properly look at herself. But now she was realising that she just might have made a mistake or done something wrong. And would she even know if she had made a mistake anyway? All she had done was put on a dress, there really wasn't much that could go wrong, was there? Gracia would tell her, she'd let her know if she had gotten it wrong.

"Fuck." Edward stated as she stopped again. Mustang. If she did look wrong then he'd be the first person to see it. Damn. Damn. Wait…would he know if it was wrong? If she didn't know, would he? After all they were both male, she thought. Except that the other male had had years of experience with women and she didn't. She groaned. She started walking again. Although she suddenly remembered, he had been out of it for the last four years. Maybe things had changed, more than just restaurants. There was every possibility that he wouldn't see anything wrong.

Why had she opened her mouth and said she'd go? She swallowed and puffed her breath out. You're doing it again, she told herself as she reached the ground floor. Making things complicated when they aren't, she thought, you know why you're doing this, you moron.

"…see him?"

"I saw. I never knew he could look so good."

"Wonder who he's waiting for?"

The voices of several soldiers reached her ears. She looked up and saw them looking over their shoulders as they pushed through the large doors. The sound of her heels had them turning around and they stared at the slender blonde in the black dress appearing from the stairwell.

Edward took in a silent breath and walked past them as they remained silent. She could feel them watching her back as she went out the door. She let her breath out in relief as she heard the door close behind her. She forgot how to inhale when she looked across the small paved area and saw him. _Roy_.

* * *

Roy watched the soldiers enter the building, paying little attention to them as he waited. Edward was running late, only by five minutes, but still late. He smiled slightly. She was probably either madly dashing around or buried nose deep in a book. Maybe another five minutes and he would go and check on her if she didn't appear. The door opening had him looking up and he saw her appear.

He straightened up and took a step forward as her head lifted slightly. He stared at her, his breath caught in his throat somewhere. His eye skimmed from the top of her head to her shoes and back again. He swallowed. She had been elegant in her interview, she had been confident in her uniform skirt, now she was simply stunning.

Her hair was in the long high tail, smoothly golden. The black dress seemed fitted to her and it showed off a slender form that her uniform had hidden. Long sleeves and matching gloves. The high collar framing the sides of her throat made her neck seem longer. The modest expanse of skin revealed as the neckline widened and then converged to give her a hint of cleavage. The dress fell to just below her knees and he could see the two perfect flesh legs he had seen once before, but hadn't really noticed.

He was walking towards her before he realised it, unable to take his eye from her as she stood there.

Edward stared at him. All black and dark in his suit. Where was Mustang? Where was the bastard? Why was Roy all she could see? He was staring at her and she had never had anyone stare at her like that before. He looked so different, he looked…good. She swallowed, he looked very good. Suddenly 'handsome' was the only word that seemed to fit him and she nearly blinked.

He was handsome, he was good looking and very good to look at and she was looking. She had been distracted by his looks that night at the police station but now she was blindsided by them. She stared as he came closer. It was just a suit, so where did he get that air of elegance from she wondered. His hair was falling over his patch, his jacket buttoned over a crisp white shirt, his arrayed gloves and his watch chain at his hip.

"Edward." He said her name softly as he stood in front of her. She blinked, he was looking at her, he was seeing her again. She could hear it in his voice.

"Roy." She hadn't thought she would be able to say it, but she did and his eye lit up and she blinked again at the slow smile that appeared.

"You look lovely." He said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small packet.

"So do you." She replied at a loss to know what to say. His smile widened and for a moment she wondered if he was laughing at her but whatever was in his gaze was not a teasing look. She could see the 'like' but there was something else. Something that looked as smooth and warm as his voice sounded.

"This is for you." He held his hand out and she looked down. He pulled the thin tissue paper aside and a single flower was there, silver ribbon seemed to be curled around it. Her eyebrow rose and she looked up at him but he was staring at the flower.

"Why?" She asked as she looked back down at it.

"When a gentleman takes a lady out, he should always supply her corsage, for her to wear." Roy's voice was pensive and she frowned. It sounded as if he was quoting words he had learnt a long time ago. He looked up and she met his eye. "My grandmother had a large book on what to do in any given situation, be it social or otherwise. I know you don't think of yourself as a lady, Edward, or even female. And my gentlemanly days are long gone." He paused and the petals moved, whether because the breeze caught it or because his hand trembled, she didn't know. "This is simply a flower and I'd like to give it to you."

Edward looked at the flower. It was small and there appeared to be a small yellowy smudge across one of the petals. It looked delicate but when she reached out and lightly touched a petal, it had a surprising firmness. His words echoed in her mind. Honest, unwilling to have even the slightest misunderstanding between them and he had spoken to make sure she knew that too. She looked at him. He was watching her and it was Roy there. _Human._ She really didn't have any way to refuse him when he was human.

"Thank you."

"It gets pinned to your dress," he said non-committally and her eyebrows rose.

"How?"

"I'll show you." He smiled at her expression and carefully lifted it with his other hand, scrunching the paper into his pocket. She watched as he turned it over and showed her the pin. "Stand still so I don't get you instead." She blinked as he stepped closer, pulling off his glove and handing it to her before reaching out. She held his glove and watched as he lifted a fold of the soft material with his long fingers. With the ease of old skill he slipped the pin through material and flower alike and then let go.

She looked down and saw it white against the black, the silver ribbons looped below it. She reached up to test how securely it was affixed and he smiled. She handed him his glove and he slipped it back on.

"It'll be fine, Edward. It's time we went, or we won't have time to see Gracia."

"Okay." She looked up and then over at the car. "Elysia will be getting impatient."

He stepped to the side and they walked to the car, the driver getting out and opening the door for them. He smiled at them and Ed smiled back. She was getting used to seeing him.

"Thanks Sergeant."

"You're welcome, Sir."

* * *

It was a quiet trip to the hospital and they went down the familiar corridors to Elysia's room. Edward found the heels awkward again as she tried to walk faster and nearly slipped on the smooth floor. Roy's hand at her left elbow steadied her and she grimaced slightly.

"We'll make it, Edward. Stop running."

"I'm not running. It's these damned shoes." Ed groused as she felt the warmth of his hand. "And the floor is slippery too."

He chuckled lightly and left his hand at her elbow as they kept walking, their pace slightly quicker. He let go as they reached the room and she felt the lingering warmth as he pushed open the door and they entered the room.

Gracia looked up with a smile and Elysia stared with wide eyes.

"Oh wow!" She said and bounced on the bed, holding her arms out for whoever got there first. Roy laughed as he moved over and let her hug him tight.

"You approve, princess?" he looked down at her as he kept her in a loose hug.

"Oh yes, Uncle Roy, you look so pretty." Elysia smiled at him. "You're almost as pretty as Sister is." They both turned at looked at Edward, who was standing still as Gracia did something to the high collar.

"Do you think so?" He asked and they studied her for a moment.

"Yep." She rested her head against his chest. "Will you and Sister be at my party tomorrow?"

"Of course. We wouldn't miss it." He found himself holding her often these days when he came to visit. It was almost like holding forgiveness in his arms.

"Hey, Uncle Roy?"

"Yes princess?"

"You like Sister, don't you?"

"Yes, of course." He smiled at her as her voice dropped slightly and she looked across at her mother surreptitiously before looking back at him.

"Mummy says I shouldn't keep asking or talking about it, that it's too early or something."

Roy smiled. "It's ok, princess. I can keep a secret."

"When you and Sis get married, can I be the flower girl?"

* * *

Gracia smiled at Edward. The high collar needed straightening up where it had folded down slightly at the back and she adjusted it as she spoke quietly.

"You look good, Edward."

"Are you sure, Gracia? I wouldn't have a clue."

"It's perfect. And I love the corsage. That golden mark matches your eyes."

"Huh?" Edward looked down at the flower and saw the marked petal in the brighter light. The smudge that had looked yellowish in the evening light was definitely a more golden colour here. She looked across at Roy but he was listening to something Elysia was saying. Had he chosen it because of that?

"You need something around your neck, Edward." Gracia said as she considered the young woman in front of her. The simple dress suited her perfectly. Riza and Gracia had found out very quickly on that shopping trip that Edward had no patience or desire for frills and ribbons. The basic straight lines of the soft flowing material had pleased them all, even Edward had merely shrugged at it.

Edward grinned. "You know I don't like that sort of thing."

Gracia laughed. "I remember. But I also remember you did wear them last time."

"Because you bullied me into it."

"It was that or the makeup." And Edward shuddered in reaction.

"I am never going to wear that stuff." She said firmly.

"Well, next time Roy buys you a corsage, make sure he gets an extra one for your hair then."

Edward blinked. "How did you know?"

"I knew you'd never think of it and Roy was always the more well-mannered of the two. Maes was more… haphazard." Gracia smiled reminiscently and Edward grinned. Yes, she could imagine that very easily. "It's a pity I didn't think of them earlier, I could have gotten Riza to bring some here for you."

"I had those fake ones for the ball." Edward remarked. "But I don't know where they went."

A splutter had them turning to see a wide-eyed Roy Mustang staring at Elysia. As they watched, a tide of red rose in his cheeks. Edward blinked. Was he blushing? Gracia looked from Roy to her daughter.

"Elysia. What did I tell you?"

The little head fell. "Not to talk about it anymore." She mumbled and Roy bit his lip at how downcast she seemed. Maes had sounded very similar when he had been caught out. His face was red, he could feel it and Edward was looking at him, he could feel that too. He didn't dare look at her at the moment. Elysia's question had brought most of his brain to a halt and he had no idea of how Edward would react if she heard it. He didn't even want to consider her reaction at all. She'd probably destroy half the building…at least half.

Edward caught Gracia's eye and knew not to ask. She had seen that look before when Elysia had asked about her making more paper flowers.

"I wonder what happened to those flowers though." Edward said thoughtfully, thinking to ease over whatever had upset him by changing the subject.

Roy took a deep breath and turned his head. "What flowers?"

"The night of the ball. I had a couple in my hair." She asked casually, looking from him back to Gracia. "I don't remember them falling out or anything."

"It doesn't matter, Edward. It…was a difficult time, you wouldn't have noticed them falling."

"I know, but they were yours. It's not right to not return them."

Gracia smiled at the stubborn face. "In that case, I give them to you, Edward. That way, if you do ever find them, you can keep them. For occasions like this." She looked over at Roy, who was staring at Edward with a contemplative expression. "Next time, Roy, you need to get flowers for her hair as well."

Roy gaped at Gracia. He was having a hard time getting a grip on things now. Suddenly everything had tilted way out of his reach. "I do?" He asked as he tried to reel his mind back in.

"Yes." Gracia nodded. He was looking rather disconcerted she thought. She knew what Elysia had probably asked him and could understand his startled response, but there was something else there. Maybe she should have a small talk with him tomorrow.

"We're going to have to go, or we will be late," Edward said as she looked at her watch before slipping it back in her pocket.

"Edward, I'm sure that dress didn't have a pocket before." Gracia said slowly.

"I know, I had to make one." Edward looked at Mustang and wondered why he was looking so blank. "I had to do that for the uniform skirt as well."

"You need a bag, Edward." Gracia said and Edward only just stopped herself from swearing.

"Not going to happen."

* * *

"So, what did Elysia say that sent you off the edge?" Edward asked as they headed to the Civic Hall.

"It doesn't matter, Edward." Roy said stiffly.

"Oh come on, you can tell me." Ed coaxed.

"No. Not this time." He said in a firm voice.

"It can't have been that bad, Mustang," she remarked.

"Just leave it, Edward." Roy said, still struggling to regain his usual calm demeanour. Elysia's comment followed almost straight after by Edward's question had caught him completely by surprise. Edward had pushed him off balance a few times today and that fifteen minute visit had pushed him further. He could feel Edward staring at him again. Since when had he become so sensitised to her?

Ever since she had appeared in front of the dorms he had been more aware of her than ever before. He'd never been so blindsided in his life. He liked her, he had known that for quite some time now. Yesterday he had kissed her. This afternoon he had felt it shift again as he had spoken without thought and this evening he had seen her. He had seen her there and known that he was the one who was taking her out, that she was going to be at his side all night and that he would be the one taking her home. That he was the one she liked. And a single thought had slipped through him as she had said his name.

Edward was his and he was never going to let her go.

Edward frowned as he sat there, obviously thinking hard. She couldn't understand him at all at the moment and the evening had barely started. He was changing every time she turned around. He had been 'Roy' when she had first seen him, and then back to 'Mustang' and now he was heading straight into 'bastard' territory.

It didn't really matter if he didn't tell her, she knew she could find out from Gracia or even Elysia tomorrow, but it was strange that whatever it was had ruffled him so much. And she didn't know why he wasn't telling her. It couldn't have been as bad as the wedding one Elysia had sprung on her, and everyone had been there for that one. Now there was a comment she didn't want him to hear. The bastard would probably snap and burn down half the hospital.

What had seemed like a simple evening out was becoming something strange and complicated. Ever since she had seen him waiting for her. Ever since she had seen Roy there. All the changes were simply highlighting the fact that Roy was behind them all and she was beginning to see that.

She blinked and turned away to stare out the window as the thought hit her. Roy was the one she liked. Roy was the one she opened up to, the one she trusted even as she cursed at the bastard. Roy was the one she knew would be there even as Mustang handed down orders.

And if she was really honest with herself, she would admit that it was only because of _Roy _that she was here.

She turned her head to look at him again and found him looking at her. For the first time today she could meet his eye and not feel overwhelmed by the confusion. Whatever happened tonight she could meet, because Roy was there with her.

Roy looked at her and marvelled at the calmness in her eyes. He had been expecting her to be upset because he had not answered her questions. It was surprising he thought, that the calmness in her eyes puts me straight again. Considering how often she was the cause of his inner turmoil, it was intriguing to now find that she could also restore his balance.

"We're here, Sirs." The Sergeant's voice was suddenly loud and they blinked and looked around. The Civic Hall was a large building, not as grandiose as Headquarters but still fairly imposing. It was well-lit and people were going up the stairs to the large doors. Several cars were in front of theirs and more people were appearing.

Edward looked at Roy. "I thought this was a small function."

"So did I." He frowned as another group of people approached the building. He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

She frowned at him. "What for? You didn't know about it either." She looked out the window briefly. "Besides, I was the one that got us into this." She turned back. "Come on, Roy. We can do this." And she grinned at him. He didn't fail to see the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

He shook his head as his lips curved. "Edward." Her grin widened at his warning tone. "Behave."

"Always, you know that. " And she slipped out the car as the driver opened her door. Roy followed, a faint smile on his face. There was no way he was going to let her out of his sight now.

Edward looked at the stairs and took a breath. She had gone down stairs in heels, she could go up stairs in heels. There were several women doing it, she could too. She began to walk towards them and Roy appeared at her right side. He reached out and caught her right hand and she looked at him as he placed it in the crook of his elbow. He smiled at her.

"I believe I did say we were going to be here, _together_, Edward."

* * *

The Fuhrer stood at the window of the small salon and looked at the arriving people. He watched as the Lieutenant-General and Lieutenant-Colonel arrived. They made a striking couple he saw, as heads turned to watch them ascend the stairs. He knew that people would recognise Mustang. Despite his isolation, there were enough stories still floating around to make him recognisable.

"I see they actually came," the light voice said by his ear as Eric Kinase looked over his shoulder and out the window as well.

"Yes. You didn't think they wouldn't?"

"You wouldn't have got me doing that."

"You never had a sense of duty, Eric."

Eric laughed. "You had enough for both of us."

"And look where you ended up because of it." The Fuhrer remarked and heard his friend's groan.

"Don't remind me. It's all your fault, you know that, don't you, you smooth talking bastard."

"And is it really so bad a thing?" Sterben asked, his voice almost concerned and hurt.

"Don't do that, Michael. I've known you too long to fall for that one."

The Fuhrer laughed. "I was just practising."

"It's just as well you're one of the good guys, Michael." Eric said as he moved away.

"You know I wouldn't have gotten here without you." The Fuhrer said simply.

"I know." Eric replied equally simply, then he grinned. "I expect to be shot for precisely that reason every single day."

"I could arrange that for you."

"I'll get back to you after I've checked my schedule."

They both laughed. A knock at the door had them turning as it opened and one of the attendants appeared.

"Lieutenant-General Mustang and Lieutenant-Colonel Elric, Sirs."

"Thank you. Let them in, please." The Fuhrer said with a nod of his head.

Roy and Edward entered and both saluted. If they were still reluctant to be here, the Fuhrer couldn't see any signs of it. If anything, they appeared to present a consolidated front between them.

"You came, Lieutenant-Colonel, my evening's enjoyment is assured now, and you look absolutely gorgeous." The Councillor grinned as he walked over to her.

"Councillor, still an asshole I see." Edward stated flatly.

"Of course, it makes me unforgettable." He said with a flamboyant wave of his arms and a wide grin. "Besides, I'm only an asshole to you." He smirked as he swept into a low bow in front of her and she took a deep breath.

"Really? Well, it's not like you have to go to any extra trouble to do that. You're definitely a natural at it."

"It's strange you should notice that, so many people just don't see that." He replied as he straightened up.

"I think it's the smell. It kinda gives you away." Edward retorted.

Roy walked over to the Fuhrer as Edward and the Councillor started on each other. He knew Edward wouldn't do anything too bad to him and having someone else to insult would probably ease any nerves she had about this evening.

"Sir, sorry we're late."

"Only five minutes, Mustang. I think that's allowable." The Fuhrer smiled slightly. "And it gives those two less time together as well."

"There seems to be rather a lot of people here, Sir." Roy said carefully.

"Yes, there are a few more that normal. Functions like this one, with a meeting and dinner combined, tend to attract the people who ignore the meeting only evenings."

Roy nodded. He could understand that. "Will we be attending the meeting too?"

"Yes." The Fuhrer nodded. "Although technically, it's not really a meeting. We held that this afternoon. But during dinner, various people will speak and let the others know what has been decided or what they think could be concerns for the future."

Roy nodded. "And alchemists being one of those concerns?"

The Fuhrer nodded. "Yes. Expect some questions directed at you. I've had requests at the last few meetings to have someone appear and respond. I realise it upset other plans you had, but I really could not deny them any longer. And you really are the only one suitable, given your position now."

"Which I have held for a week, and for which there isn't even a working Department for yet."

The Fuhrer smiled. "I have every confidence in you, Mustang."

At that moment, a long arm was thrown over his shoulder and Eric appeared.

"That's what he said when he set me up the last time. You have to watch him." He smiled at them both. "Anyway gentlemen, it's time to go and do the meet and greet that I know we all love so much." He added with light cynicism and he stepped away, back to where Edward was standing. "Come on lovely lady, we can make a grand entrance."

"Are you out of your fucking mind, Councillor? Unless there are stairs I can kick you down."

"Alas, it's all level flooring. But I'll get the architect to design some for next year." He smirked. "Although if your little heart really wants it that badly, I know where the staircase to the first floor is and we can make an occasion of it."

"You're a complete idiot. You need a keeper."

"I have one." And he pointed at The Fuhrer. "Maybe you should get one too."

"The day I need a keeper is the day you stop being an asshole." She snapped back.

"Mustang, if we can get these two through the evening without actual physical violence, I will excuse us both from the next meeting."

"Done, Sir." Roy grinned as the Fuhrer's eyes twinkled and they both stepped across to the pair.

"Come on Edward, play-time's over, it's time we were moving." Roy said as he threaded his arm through hers and she turned, a surprised look on her face. He took a step towards the door and almost pulled her off-balance before she took a quick step to keep up with him.

"I wasn't playing, bastard." She glared slightly at him as he led her to the door.

"It certainly looked like it." He remarked as he opened the door. He kept her at his side as he waited for the Fuhrer and the Councillor to approach.

"Have I told you I hate you?" The words slipped out without thinking and he grinned at her.

"Have I told you I like you?" He replied softly and saw the pink tinge her cheeks even as she replied automatically.

"Not today."

"Now that's the difference between us, General. They blush for you, they insult me." The Councillor said as he and the Fuhrer came up to them.

"That's because you're an asshole." Roy stated calmly and Edward choked on a laugh.

"He's got you with that one, Eric." The Fuhrer said with a small chuckle.

"Only because she told him." Eric retorted with a wide grin.

* * *

It was a large room with a high exposed beam ceiling and wood panelled walls. The room was brilliantly lit from several chandeliers which hung from the ceiling. White clothed tables had been set up and had places for up to eight to be seated. One table had been placed slightly separate from the others and a podium had been placed near it. Cutlery and glassware sparkled and white coated waiters moved efficiently through the people directing them to their correct seats.

Roy and Edward entered the room a step behind the Fuhrer and the Councillor, their eyes automatically scanning the room and taking rapid mental notes. Which in Edward's case was noting where the exits were. She kept her face blank as people began to watch them heading to the table near the podium. The noise in the room began to quieten and people were seated quicker.

The Fuhrer took his seat and Mustang sat on his left. Edward held back a grimace as she saw her name on a card and realised she was sitting next to the Councillor. Four other people were already there and she glanced at them rapidly before sitting down. The Councillor went to the podium and waited for a moment. His eyes scanned the room and he smiled as the last people were seated.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you all here this evening. It has been a few months since our last dinner and it is good to see so many familiar faces back again. Now, it is my duty and privilege to introduce our guests for the evening." He turned slightly and lifted his hand up. "The Fuhrer, as most of you are aware, is a very busy man and we always appreciate him taking time out of his schedule to attend these events."

The Fuhrer stood up, a mild smile on his face as the applause rose in the room.

"Tonight, he has brought two guests with him, both of whom need little introduction. Lieutenant-General Mustang and Lieutenant-Colonel Elric."

Roy stood up, a smile to match the Fuhrer's on his face and he saw Edward slowly stand up as well, struggling to keep her face blank as everyone stared at her. Whispers swept the room as the applause faltered slightly and then picked up again. As soon as Roy sat down, Edward followed as quickly as possible.

"Now, please enjoy your dinner and we will have questions at the usual time after the main course." He smiled at the polite clapping and it stopped the minute he stepped away from the podium as people began to talk rapidly. He sat down in his seat and met the cold golden eyes with a slight smile.

"Let me introduce you to several members of the council, Lieutenant-Colonel, before you decide on which ever method of killing me is the most appropriate."

"Probably the one that causes you the most pain, Councillor." Edward replied in a cool voice and he grinned.

"I knew I could trust you." He said as he indicated the man on her other side. "This is Evan Moore, he's been a member of the council for several years now. His wife, Analise, is also a member. They are responsible for public works." Edward bowed her head to both of them and small smiles were exchanged. "And on the other side, we have Bird Tyler, he's been Secretary here since paper was invented I believe," as he nodded towards the small almost withered old man beside Mustang.

"I heard that, Kinase," the old man's surprisingly strong voice came across the table.

"He has the sharpest ears as well," Kinase stated with a grin. "You'll probably get on well with him. He's not that fond of me either."

"That's because you're an asshole." Edward couldn't stop herself from saying and heard it echoed by the old man. She turned her head to look at him and they both grinned at each other.

"We'll have to find time to discuss assholes we have known some time, Lieutenant-Colonel," he said with a chuckle.

"Definitely, Sir."

Kinase coughed loudly and Edward looked back at him with a smirk. "May I now finish the introductions?" He asked plaintively. "Beside Bird, is Will Owens. He's in charge of all city finances." Edward smiled slightly and nodded her head, trying to remember the new names and faces.

She could see Mustang talking with Bird and the Fuhrer leant slightly forward to ask Will a question.

"It was mentioned at the meeting today that you were the Fullmetal Alchemist." Evan Moore said.

"Yes, I am." Edward replied easily.

"I was always under the impression you were male. And everyone was told you had died several years ago."

Edward went still for a moment. "I was." She said briefly. His eyebrows rose and she could see the questions appearing in his face.

"We did cover this at the meeting, Evan."

"Only superficially, Kinase. I think we need to hear it from the Lieutenant-Colonel. You can't tell us there was an accident and expect us to just accept that."

Edward tried to catch Roy's eye but he wasn't looking her way at the moment and she had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Why not?" Edward asked before she knew she was going to say anything.

"Because it lacks details. You reappear, you're a different gender and it was all an accident? We are councillors and we have a duty to this City just as much as the military does. We can only protect people if we know what's going on."

"Protect them from what?" Edward asked, moving back as a bowl of soup was placed in front of her.

"From whatever 'accident' you went through." Evan replied and she blinked at him.

"Trust me, no-one is ever going to go through this accident again." Edward said wryly.

"That's not good enough!" He said, his voice rising slightly and Edward saw his wife place a hand on his elbow.

"You doubt my word?" Edward asked quietly and her eyes flashed.

"Yes." He didn't back down and Edward could see the hand at his arm gripping harder. He was ignoring it, continuing to glare at her.

"One thing I have never had called into doubt is my word." Edward's voice went flat.

"Evan." The Councillor's voice was heavy and Edward saw the glaring eyes flicker slightly.

"Evan." His wife spoke as well and Edward wondered at the sorrow in her voice. Evan Moore seemed unable to speak.

"You'll have to forgive my husband, Lieutenant-Colonel. There are some things he gets a bit carried away over."

Edward took a deep breath and looked at the earnest woman. "I understand, there are things that I get irrational about at times. And please, call me Edward."

"Like me," Kinase chimed in and Edward rolled her eyes.

"Stop it," Evan said in a low voice and he looked at Kinase and then at his wife. "I appreciate what you are doing. Both of you." He said between his teeth before he looked at Edward. She met his gaze without flinching. "Lieutenant-Colonel, my wife and the councillor know why I doubt your word. And misguided though they are at times, they are obviously trying to save me from making a fool of myself or something equally humiliating. But I lost my son in Liore and while I doubt you understand the pain that causes me, understand that I will doubt the word of any alchemist, not just you."

Edward took a deep breath and clenched her hands on the table. She kept her eyes fixed on his as her face paled.

"I was at Liore. Everybody lost someone there. If I could have saved more, I would have."

"Edward." Roy's voice came from the other side of the table. "You saved more than most."

"It wasn't enough, Roy." She said without taking her eyes away from Evan.

"It was more than I could do." He replied and there was open regret in his voice. Evan's eyes flickered from one to the other. Edward sighed.

"Mr Moore, I was twelve when I became a State Alchemist, I was fifteen at Liore. I have never agreed with everything the military has done and there weren't many that did agree with what happened in Liore. But we didn't get a choice, Mr Moore, it was our duty to serve. Me, your son, all of us. To protect the people, you said. How is my service less than yours? You can't make that call, no-one can. But it doesn't make me any less human just because I haven't paid the same price as you have. We all pay prices for serving."

They stared at each other for a long moment. So many things had happened at Liore and she couldn't tell him the truth. She had paid the same price as his son and she couldn't tell him that either. Not that he'd believe her anyway. And telling him any of that would just make him more fearful and mistrusting.

"You can't expect me to change my mind so quickly."

"No, I don't. Four years ago, I got caught in an alchemic reaction gone wrong and had to leave. Everyone, including my brother, thought I was dead and I was too far away to be able to say otherwise. A few months ago I got caught in another reaction as I was on my way back here and this is the result of that. I've made sure that neither event is ever going to happen again to anyone else."

"You think that makes me feel better knowing that?" But his eyes flickered and there was a softening around his jaw.

"No. But you wanted to know and now you do." Edward said with finality. "What you do after this is up to you. I have enough of my own regrets, I won't carry yours as well."

"That's a bit harsh, Edward." Mrs Moore said with a frown, but her husband shook his head.

"No Annalise, she's right. We all carry our own loads." He looked at her and smiled slightly. "You can stop breaking my arm now." She blushed as she realised she still had a death-grip on his arm and she let go quickly.

"Well done, Edward." The soft whisper barely reached her ears as the Councillor turned the other way and raised his voice. "And General Mustang, perhaps you could tell us about the Western Districts. I believe you were there just recently?"

Mustang raised an eyebrow but he recognised the diversionary tactic and obligingly began describing the conditions he had found there. Edward and Evan Moore let their breath out simultaneously and blinked at each other, a small smile reflected between them.

* * *

The tensions dissipated slowly and by the main course was served there was a more relaxed air about the table. The Councillor left the table between the courses and went around the room, stopping at every table.

"Despite his manner, he is probably the best Councillor we've had." Mrs Moore said as she watched him circulate. Edward managed not to roll her eyes.

"Central has probably changed a lot since you were last here, Edward." Will Owens said as he straightened up his cutlery beside his plate.

"I haven't seen much of it yet except the Library and Headquarters. There hasn't been any time for looking around."

"Evan and I would be delighted to show you, Edward." Mrs Moore said, and Evan and Edward exchanged a dubious look before they tentatively smiled.

"Thank you, that would be nice." Edward replied a bit helplessly, not quite sure just why she was agreeing but not knowing a polite way to refuse.

Roy watched her. So far she seemed capable of handling things. She hadn't backed down and she hadn't lost control. The maturity she kept hidden somewhere had slipped out again. She had not hesitated or tried to deny responsibility and she had used that devastating honesty of hers to which there was rarely any comeback. She never let up on herself which made trying to attack her pointless and useless.

He wished she had been seated next to him. He had managed to catch her eye a couple of times and given her a quick smile, but it was difficult to maintain any form of contact with two people between them. And after the initial acrimony had disappeared, they had begun to talk to her and although they were wary about asking specific questions, Edward had been unable to avoid having to talk about her change and her disappearance.

Like that first night in his office, she stuck to generalities and had managed to turn several questions around to get them talking. He could see she wasn't comfortable with all the talking about her, another reason he wanted to be closer to her. Her hands would tense occasionally, and it was beginning to irritate him that the Councillor could throw out a remark and her insulting reply would calm her down enough to continue talking.

* * *

The Councillor came back with a sheaf of papers in his hand and handed them to the Fuhrer before he sat down.

"The questions." He said as he began to eat quickly.

"What are they like this time?"

"Much as expected." He spoke clearly despite his mouthful and he swallowed before he turned his head towards Edward.

"There's a few there directed at you, Edward." He sounded almost apologetic and her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not getting up there." She said firmly, almost daring him to push the issue.

"You won't have to. Michael and Mustang can do all the talking." He grinned slightly as her eyes widened and she looked past him in time to see Roy's eye go wide before he regained his normal composure. "After all, that's what they're here for." Eric continued with a smirk.

"When does this happen?" She asked as she saw the Fuhrer hand some of the pages over to Roy.

"After the plates are cleared. Because some of the questions may be too sensitive for open discussion, so we always collate them first. Most are answered now and the others are dealt with later."

"It sounds like fun." She said with a small burst of politeness and he smirked at her.

"It's even worse, Edward, it's so much fun, it's hideously boring." He replied as he continued to clear his plate.

"That's why they introduced dancing to finish the evening off with," Bird said. "It was the only way to keep the questions to a manageable time limit."

"How long do they go on for?" Edward asked, staring at him.

"About an hour and a half, two sometimes. It depends on the questions." Bird replied.

"You have got to be joking." And Bird and Kinase burst out laughing at the horror on her face.

* * *

"How do you suppose the Boss is doing, babe?" Havoc asked as he carried out another empty box from Elysia's room..

"I don't know, Jean." Riza replied, a slight frown on her face. Jean heard the voices of the others in the bedroom as they squabbled over the instructions of the bedroom set and he took her arm and led her into Gracia's room to give them a bit of privacy.

"What's bothering you, Riz?" He put a finger on her forehead to smooth out the crease. She smiled up at him and then took a deep breath.

"Does Edward seem different to you lately?"

"Not really. You mean like the other night?"

"No, it's just she…hung up on me when I offered to go over and help her get ready."

"She hung up on you?" Jean stared at her. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not." She frowned at him and he smiled at her.

"The Boss wouldn't just hang up on you, babe. What did she say?"

"She said she didn't need my help."

He blinked. "Where's the problem with that?"

"Jean! Edward doesn't have a clue about civic functions or going out at all. And she has no experience with getting dressed up."

"All she'd have to do would be get dressed and go, right?" Jean said, slightly questioning it as she almost glared at him.

"That's the male viewpoint, Jean."

"Which, you keep telling me, Edward still sees herself as." She stared at him and he put his hands on her shoulders. "You can't change her until she's ready, Riz. And only she'll know when that is. She's twenty now, she's not fifteen anymore. She stands on her own for most things, let her learn how to do this as well." He lifted her chin up and kissed her softly.

"Jean…"

"Let it go, Riz. Let them _both_ learn this one."

"You see way too much, Jean Havoc."

"I know. That's why you love me." He said as he kissed her again.

* * *

The Fuhrer and Mustang went over the pages as they ate. Most of them were general questions, but there were some that Roy would need to answer, in regards to the plans for State Alchemy. Edward was the subject of a few questions and he slipped the paper to her and she scribbled several rude remarks before passing it back. He grinned at her and her eyes dared him to use those answers when he spoke.

"Check these too, Edward," he said as he passed several more to her and her eyebrow rose.

"Trying to avoid paperwork again, bastard?" She asked lightly as she accepted them. She read them quickly. He had scrawled several points about the State Alchemy department and she added several more regarding using them for research.

"Her writing's almost as legible as yours is, Michael." The Councillor remarked facetiously.

Edward sighed. "Sir, you wouldn't object if I hit him, just a little bit?"

"How can you hit someone just a little bit?" Mrs Moore asked curiously.

"I'd only use my left hand." Edward replied. Mustang and the Fuhrer began to laugh as Kinase groaned.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone for commenting and reviewing… I can never thank you enough for letting me waffle for the dozens of pages and thousands of words like I do, even if I didn't manage to make this one as long as the last chapter…

Also I wish to mention MuseOfMyths who wanted to translate this into Finnish and Chapter 1 appeared earlier this week. I know translating is not an easy task, so I'm really overwhelmed that you and your beta, Chinoz from Vuotava Noidankattila, would willingly do that.

And I have to mention Spirix, who helped me with Edward's dress, along with some rather interesting pictures, and while I haven't gone so far as to put your name in bold and underlined and surrounded by tildes' and assorted asterixis, I have the word for you Spirix, and it is 'monument'.

Thank you all once again. Tesekkür ederim

silken :)


	28. Politics and Passions

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 28: Politics and Passions**

Ed sat back in her chair and listened as the Fuhrer began answering the first of the questions. It took four sentences before her mind wandered and her eyes went slightly blank. Everyone was looking at him so she didn't think anyone would notice if she took a mental walk.

How strange this was she thought. Sitting here, in a dress, surrounded by strangers and she didn't feel as uncomfortable as she thought she should be. This was the first moment she had had to really consider exactly what it was like to be here. The conversations had distracted her and she was determined to at least land one hit on Kinase by evening's end. The man was simply the most irritating sarcastic shit she had ever met. He was even worse than Mustang.

But she had to be honest and admit that his presence, annoying though it was, was helping to keep her relaxed and comfortable. It kept her distracted from thinking about what was going to happen when the speeches started and everyone would hear the official version of her return and change.

The military had been a sanctuary since she had returned to Central. Once the initial upheaval over her circumstances had passed, life had settled into a comfortable routine. The people around her had not judged her. They were soldiers, they accepted what they were told, and anything that baffled them they found answers for within the framework of duty and sacrifice.

But now it was going to be different. She hadn't forgotten the reaction of the contractor. She knew what it was like to be different. Her arm and leg, even her age when she had first passed the exam; all had given her enough experience at being thought different. But this time it was something more fundamental. It wasn't announcing you'd lost your arm, this was announcing you'd lost and changed your whole identity. To people who had a very different viewpoint of the world.

She had come across many people who didn't trust alchemists as she had searched for the Stone, and she had had four years in a place where they weren't exactly friendly to strangers and she had been stranger than most. It got very tiring trying to justify yourself and your very existence to people who were never going to understand anyway and Edward had long since stopped trying. But she wasn't going to be able to say 'fuck you' and ignore everyone this time.

This time she was effectively nailed to the spot because she had agreed to this. Maybe she should have forgotten that she liked him and not said anything. But then he would have had to choose and that little voice inside definitely did not want to know if he would have chosen duty over their dinner. She had enough questions and confusions already, she didn't want any more.

At least he was here. There was no way she could have done this on her own. And after Al, the bastard was probably the one she would have wanted to be here. She knew that even had there been no attraction between them, she could have relied on him to get her through this. If only so he could gloat about it later.

But sitting here now, she realised something else. Liking brought acceptance with it. Reluctant acceptance, but still a form of acceptance. Why else would she be here, in a dress and not feeling as if she was going to explode at any given moment? It wasn't just that this was an official function and that certain behaviours were expected, it was also not wanting to let him down. And to avoid that, she would smile and behave and generally pretend that everything was completely normal.

After all, people believed what they saw. Perceptions and expectations could be influenced by what people saw. By what she let them see. This was not the time to let any of her confusions show. She was going to have to act as if being female was something she had absolutely no problems with. As if she had been born to it. She knew she had already gotten off to a slightly uneven start. Mrs Moore had looked askance at her a couple of times as her language had veered to the colourful side. For all her empathy over her husband's earlier behaviour, she seemed to find Edward's language a bit unsettling. And Edward had tried to tone it down, which the Councillor had noticed and he had deliberately tried to incite her to swear. She was going to grind her teeth down to the gums by the end of the night if she didn't knock his teeth out first.

The problem was that it was all too easy to ignore her personal discomfort because there were too many other things distracting her. It really did not hurt her to wear the dress, even if it did feel odd. And it did not hurt her to know people saw her as female as she looked, even when she still felt male. Just because she hated it did not automatically mean everyone saw it the same way she did.

She held back a sigh. She was back at perceptions and expectations. She hadn't gotten a hold of her own changed view of the world yet and now others were going to project their's onto her on a grander scale than any she had faced so far.

It might have been easier she thought, if it could have been done on a table by table basis, but that probably wasn't feasible. It would have made her a lot less self-conscious to handle one small group at a time rather than a whole roomful. Judgement was just lying in wait for her.

No-one was judging her yet, but then it was only this small group so far, and half of them she already knew didn't have a problem with her circumstances. It was going to be different when everyone knew and she knew they would look and she just knew they would judge her. As an alchemist, as a female. They would compare her to whatever stories they had heard and she could not avoid their reaction. Whether she wanted to or not, she would hear it, see it.

Applause brought her back to herself and she clapped politely as the Fuhrer finished speaking and Mustang walked to the lectern. They both stood there and Ed understood the symbolism in it. Whatever Mustang was going to say was completely supported by the Fuhrer.

"He looks good, doesn't he?" A soft whisper barely reached her ear.

"Yes," her reply was equally soft and then she blinked. "Huh?" She half-turned her head and realised the Councillor had shifted close behind her and she was positive that was a smirk on his face as he looked past her to the two men at the lectern. "Who does?" She asked hurriedly.

"Your Lieutenant-General of course." The merest thread of a smile was in his voice. She found herself looking over Mustang as he stood there. The suit made him appear taller, slender and her eyes scanned him from head to foot and back again. She hadn't had a chance to really look at him again since she had first seen him earlier. The blue lights were in his dark hair and her fingers itched to brush it back from his face. Roy. The reason she was here. The one she liked.

"He's not _my_ Lieutenant-General." She murmured and his chuckle was barely audible.

"Of course not, and you weren't kissing in his office the other day either," came the light teasing response. Edward could feel the blush that rose to cover her face and she had to bite her lips hard to stop herself from saying anything.

"Not that I have anything against such activities." The soft voice carried on. "If I was a few years younger I'd give you a run for your money." Edward's eyes widened and she had to stop from turning to face him completely. "Because he does look very good."

She felt him move back before she could respond in any way, shape or form. Her mind reeled. Several loud thoughts were screaming at her to turn around and demand an explanation, preferably with her automail fist in his face, of what he had said. Or was trying to say, she wasn't sure yet. Even more of her mind was running around convinced he was just finding a new way to irritate her and there was a small, almost determined voice that was laying claim to Roy and threatening more than just grievous bodily harm to the Councillor should he even go anywhere near Roy.

It took nearly a minute before her mind stopped abruptly as she realised the one, the most obvious point and it completely derailed her. The Councillor was male too.

* * *

Roy could feel her gaze on him as he stood there. It was slightly annoying that he couldn't turn his head to look at her. But he found it reassuring that she was there. That she was looking at him and not being distracted by the Councillor, or anyone else. He wasn't sure just how closely she was listening to him though. He knew Edward too well to believe she was actually paying attention to what he was saying. Nothing was ever going to make Edward listen to speeches. She always preferred to have everything said as bluntly and quickly as possible.

And there were fewer chances of having things misinterpreted when you spoke as bluntly as Ed did. Edward had been one of the few people he had been able to equally blunt with in return. Edward had never been interested in word play. Roy had tried it once and gotten a slammed door as a response. Although he knew she was smart enough to understand when it was being used, she lacked the skills and the inclination to return it.

For which he was now grateful. Because given this strange new territory they were heading into, he'd much rather face an Edward who would tell him exactly what she thought, rather than one who would hide behind words or not say anything at all. But he also knew that Edward wasn't going to open up just because he asked. Edward had a set rhythm for these things and he was well aware of it. Get her angry enough and all sorts of information fell out of her. Let her stew in confusion for a week and she'd be yelling her frustrations without any prompting. The trick was balance and he knew how to unbalance her better than anyone else did.

He had to admit that she was getting better though. She hadn't lost her control yet. Considering she was sitting there, in a dress and looking every inch the lady he knew she didn't realise she was. And she hadn't once blamed him for it. Although he was fully aware that she would blame him at the next possible opportunity. And he didn't want it any other way.

"Lieutenant-General, why was a woman accepted into the State Alchemists?" The question had come and he straightened up, his eye focusing on the speaker.

"Because she passed all three stages of the exam. The Military does not and will not discriminate against any applicant." He said calmly. "Women make up a good percentage of the Military, it is their right to serve wherever they feel best suited."

"Alchemists are not normal troops, Lieutenant-General. Can a woman handle those pressures?"

Roy raised an eyebrow. That was not the follow-up question he had on his question list, but he kept his calm and leant back a fraction. "Of course they can. They tend to be stricter and more efficient. To be honest it is sometimes harder to serve under a female superior because of those tendencies. Lady General Montgomery is a case in point. " He saw several smiles of recognition.

"But she's not an alchemist."

"No, she isn't. Being an alchemist, whether with the State or not, has its own pressures and all alchemists learn them early. A woman is more than capable of being both alchemist and soldier."

"But you were talking of scrapping the one year service limit. That would apply to her as well. What if she wanted to get married and have children?" The question came from the other side and Roy turned to see who had joined in. He could see Edward now and she was looking distracted and disturbed. Something had happened to unbalance her. He wondered if it was the question he had just been asked? Because that question was threatening to shut down half his mind and he had no idea how he was supposed to answer it. He tried to focus on the solidly built man who had stood up and managed to get some thoughts controlled enough to be coherent.

"The military does not forbid its soldiers from marrying. As for children, should the matter arise, we would consult and see what arrangements could be made to suit all parties."

"You'd terminate her service?"

"No." The Fuhrer stepped forward. "The regulations allow female officers a leave of absence for matters such as childbirth. It would be her choice if she wished to take leave or request a discharge."

"Having women in the military is a long standing practise, I realise that, why is having one as an alchemist such a big deal?" A thin man stood up and challenged the last questioner.

"Because alchemists don't have the same restrictions as normal soldiers do." The solid man replied. "They get officer status, they get their expenses paid for and libraries and facilities provided for whatever they want." The solid man stared at him.

"What does that have to do with an alchemist being female?" The thin man asked.

"It has nothing to do with being female." Everyone turned. A golden haired blonde had stood up at the Fuhrer's table and was staring at the solid man. Roy and the Fuhrer both blinked. Both had known exactly how reluctant Edward was to be here, both knew how much she hated being the centre of attention. Both knew how she would speak without thinking. And Roy knew how protective and angry she could get if she felt anyone was being persecuted or unjustly criticised.

"Male or female, being an alchemist is not something you can ever stop being. No matter whether you serve the State or your own little village, alchemy owns you. And you always treat it with respect and use it responsibly, because it will tear you apart when you don't." Edward spoke firmly, her eyes fixed on the solid man. "State Alchemists are restricted in their use of alchemy, and the privileges we have are rigidly controlled. I can not claim everything as an expense, most things I have to pay for. I can not research whatever I want, I do have to get it approved. If I help someone, either monetarily or with alchemy, I can't ask for any reimbursement, nor do I expect it. Getting rid of the one year service limit will bring back annual evaluations, where I will have to justify everything I do." Edward took a breath, her eyes and voice never wavering. "As a soldier, I have a duty to my superiors and to my country. As an alchemist, I have a duty to never misuse my gift or what I learn. And as a …person, I have the responsibility to make sure that I don't make promises I can't keep, that my word and integrity remain steadfast and that any mistakes I make, I fix as best I can."

Roy blinked again and he swallowed. Edward was actually being sincere. Edward had called himself a military dog when he had first joined and not understood the full meaning of the phrase. When he had, the words had acquired the bitter edge all soldiers recognised. He knew she would always have the bitter edges, they all did. But Edward had gone beyond them. With that devastating honesty she never hesitated to use on herself as well as others, she had come through to the meaning of service, not just to an ideal but to herself as well.

"You're the woman who's a State alchemist?" The thin man asked as she kept staring at the now silent solid man.

"Yes, I am." She replied and she met the thin man's gaze without apology.

"Why become a State Alchemist? Why not stay in that little village instead of putting yourself into a position like this?" He asked and she could see the genuine curiousity in his face.

"Because I was taught that alchemy is something you use to benefit others. State Alchemy had so bad a reputation my teacher beat the sh… crap out of me when she found out I had become a State Alchemist. But I learnt that being a State Alchemist does not mean that I have sold myself or my soul." She smiled. "And because this is where I am meant to be."

"Your teacher was a woman too?"

"Yes, Teacher was probably the best alchemist I ever met."

"My name is Garmin. I am Commissioner for several of the Western Districts." The thin man turned towards Mustang and the Fuhrer. "If she is going to be the benchmark of future State Alchemists, female or otherwise, then I will support this."

The solid man snorted. "Those are heavy words to live up to, Alchemist. Do you really think you're going to be able to keep any of those promises?"

"I have so far." Edward replied without offense.

"That's hardly comforting. You've only been one for what…a month?"

Edward paused. She turned her head towards Roy and the Fuhrer. She could see it on their faces. They were leaving it up to her. She could say something now or wait for it to come up in its allotted time. Either which way, it was going to come out. She took a deep breath and caught Roy's eye. He smiled, one of those soft ones that made her feel warm inside, and she found herself smiling back before she realised it. She gave a small nod and turned back to face the solid man.

"Actually Sir, I served four years as a State Alchemist when I was younger. I am fully aware of how heavy those words and promises can be."

The Fuhrer watched the solid man, Farrel from the Northern Districts, frown at Edward's words. Neither Farrel nor Garmin had been at the afternoon's meeting so they were unaware of just who the new female alchemist was. He had expected Farrel to have concerns about women as Alchemists. He wasn't the most open-minded man Sterben had ever met. But his opinions were representative of parts of the population and the Fuhrer knew he could not ignore them. Much as he might want to at times.

"There have been no female State Alchemists before." Farrel pronounced.

"I wasn't female back then." Edward said slowly and Farrel's eyes widened and she felt as if everyone had stopped breathing and was staring at her. Which was almost correct. "My name was, and still is, _Edward _Elric."

The deathly silence hung in the air for a long moment and then chaos broke out. Several people stood up and began to shout across the room. Others banged on the tables to get people to listen to them. Everyone seemed to have something to say and Edward could only stand there, completely overwhelmed by the response. The noise got louder as more people tried to shout over others.

Roy appeared at her side and she turned slightly as she felt his arm brush hers. Her face was pale and her eyes didn't quite hide the nervousness and worry she was feeling. She had not expected a loud clamour like this. She had thought they would continue to ask their questions in the same manner as they had been doing. Even the mess hall that day had not lost control like this.

"That shook them up," Roy said softly and she grinned, feeling some of the nervousness slipping. "Come stand with me and we'll answer what we can."

Edward took a step and then stopped. "Shit." She moved back and sat down, half leaning under the table.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked and Edward turned her head to look at him, still bent over and her arm fishing under the table.

"Getting my shoes." She replied and the Councillor burst out laughing as Roy bit his lip to stop from following.

"It's not funny, asshole," Edward hissed at Kinase. "You try wearing these things for a few hours and see how your feet feel."

"She has a point, Eric," Mrs Moore spoke up. "I always slip mine off as well." She met Edward's wide eyes and smiled at her. "Most women do it, Edward. Getting dressed up does not mean being comfortable."

"Thank you." Edward smiled back at her. She wondered why women seemed to have less of a problem with her change than men did. She stood up and felt the threatening wobble in her ankles before she straightened up properly and took a deep breath. "Okay, I can do this." She muttered as she began to step to the lectern, Roy and the Councillor followed her.

Edward and Roy stood back as Kinase went to the lectern and banged hard on it with his hand. He opened his mouth.

"All right! That is enough! Everyone will seat themselves…Now!" He didn't shout, he bellowed. Roy and Edward stared as he made himself heard over the tumult in the room.

"Eric used to be a Sergeant-Major," the Fuhrer said quietly. "He did a lot of yelling when he was younger."

"That would explain why he's such a loud asshole," Ed was unable to resist murmuring.

"Sit down, Jerlo! No-one wants to hear you talk yet. If you don't shut up, Lain, you won't hear anything!" Kinase managed to enforce silence upon the room and he stood there and kept looking around the room.

"Now that you're all quiet, let's keep it that way. I'm sure everyone has something they want to say, but we aren't going to be able to get to everyone. Before you all start protesting and complaining, let's lay down some rules. The Fuhrer, the Lieutenant-General and the Lieutenant-Colonel will tell you the facts of the matter, without any interruptions. Do not look at me like that, Norbin. You'll have your chance later." Kinase's voice took no prisoners and Edward looked at him with a slight frown. There was little evidence of the asshole as he took and kept control of the room.

The man was seriously confusing her and she really needed to get away from here for ten minutes and try to figure out just exactly what he had meant with his earlier comment. She had stood up and butted in to avoid thinking of what he could have meant. She hadn't been comfortable at all with some of the directions her mind had been looking in. Why did it always happen this way, she asked herself. When she didn't have the time, or the freedom to indulge in serious thinking, along would come thoughts that needed to be dealt with straightaway, not left to fester and mutate into long twisted confusions.

"Those present at this afternoon's meeting were informed of this matter and were told that further information would be coming. This is that extra information. I will not tolerate any interruptions and this stops after an hour. I for one, do not want to be here all night. Please do not repeat questions. We're all old enough that we only need to be told things once. And this is not to become a forum for those who want to dump on alchemy in general and alchemists in particular. We all have our own opinions on that and this is not the place for it. Does everyone understand?" Clear brown eyes scanned the room and he gave a satisfied nod before he turned to the Fuhrer. "Sir."

"Thank you Councillor. " The Fuhrer stood at the lectern, Edward and Roy flanking him. Edward could feel the stares. They might be listening to Sterben but they were looking at her. She had to fight to keep every breath even and her face blank despite the heightened colour she could sense. Half her mind wanted to drift off into Roy-land and escape this attention and she had to force herself to concentrate on what the Fuhrer was saying.

"… returned to Central. At that time, it was decided that she would be allowed to sit the State Alchemy tests. There were some candidates who found the thought of a female sitting the exam unsettling, but after talking with them, a resolution was reached. As I said at the time, State Alchemy needs strong and determined people to make it something we can all be proud of.

"Edward passed the exam and was given her old State title back. She was also given the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in recognition for services and accomplishments during her first four years. At the present, she is helping with our Research department and helping implement several of the initiatives we mentioned earlier this evening.

"We have not hidden the changes that Edward has undergone, nor have we sought to make an issue of them. We are more than pleased that she has returned and re-enlisted and quite frankly, the changes are of little consequence in regards to her service with us."

He stepped back slightly and Roy moved forward, both men watching the room and seeing all eyes focused on Edward. He wondered how she was managing to keep her control. He recalled how very tense she had been in the mess that morning. He turned his head slightly and saw her standing there. Her head was lifted slightly and she was looking out above the crowd, avoiding meeting any of the curious eyes. There was a small crease on her forehead and her hand was fisted at her side. He took a breath.

"Edward Elric disappeared over four years ago and despite all our attempts, we could not find him and he was pronounced dead. Despite that, the lack of any actual proof meant there was always a slim chance that he was still alive somewhere, and his brother especially, never stopped looking for him.

"Most people are aware of the events surrounding Liore. Edward was responsible for securing the safety of the residents before the incident there. He was also condemned for putting their safety above those of his fellow soldiers, even though he had tried to warn them as well. Because they had refused to heed his warnings, several of our superiors at the time allocated their blame onto him. He had no choice at that point but to leave without approval or permission to protect his younger brother and that was seen as further proof against him."

Roy looked across at Edward, her head was bowed slightly and she was looking at the floor. He could see the blush and the forced stillness she was holding herself in. He knew she would not be liking this retelling, reopening all these memories.

"Edward was lost during the last days of Fuhrer Bradley's rule. There were several factions seeking to take advantage from the repercussions of Liore and, despite being listed as a deserter, Edward still worked to prove not only his innocence but also to preserve those he believed were necessary for the future of the State. It is understood that during an altercation with one of those factions, Edward was forced to leave Amestris and was unable to communicate with us."

He paused and she looked up and met his eye. She was very uncomfortable with what he was saying. She was not happy at all, even though he could see the resigned expression on her face.

"It is my belief that Edward Elric has always served with integrity and honesty and upon her return, we wasted no time in persuading her to re-enlist and sit the exam. No physical change will ever affect the integral core of Edward Elric. We, the military, and I, as her commanding officer, know that we can safely place our full trust and faith in her hands."

Edward's eyes widened slightly before she controlled herself. The bastard never said things like that. What was he doing? It wasn't part of what she had expected to hear. What she wouldn't give for thirty minutes alone to go through his words, and then another thirty demanding explanations from him. But it was her turn now and she looked out to the back of the room. She swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking.

"As the Lieutenant-General has mentioned, I became involved in an altercation and during it, an alchemic reaction was sparked and went wrong. Several people were killed and due to the nature of the transmutation, I was obliged to leave. Its purpose had been for human transmutation…" she paused slightly, unable to stop the memories of that night from echoing in her voice. "Finding the rest of the people responsible took a few years and took me a very long way from here. Not being able to get word back, especially to my brother, was hard. To finally return home was a great relief."

Roy watched the crowd as she spoke. He could hear the way her voice faltered and the pain she couldn't completely conceal. It gave a depth to the half-truths she was telling, as did her obvious reluctance and blunt manner.

"On my way back, I became caught in a transmutation and these changes are a result of that. It is because of accidents like that and also the previous misuse of alchemy that prompted me to re-enlist. I know what it was like when I first joined. When to be a State Alchemist was to be considered one step above pond scum, if you were lucky. I have seen the results of what happens when idiots play around with things they have no understanding of." And a vision of that steaming heaving mass on that night when everything had gone wrong had her swallowing hard. "I am going to make sure no-one is ever that stupid again if I can."

She stepped back suddenly, the words stopping as she found it impossible to go on without saying the things she knew she could never talk about. It had been hard enough to stay within the framework they had plotted out from the questions they knew were coming. Of the three of them, she had been the one with the most misdirecting to do and Edward was not used to having to consider her words so carefully. But they all knew that the more information they gave now, or appeared to give, the less likely there would be of accusations later of keeping secrets and cover-ups.

The councillor nodded his head to each of them and then moved to the lectern. Edward let her breath out slowly. The eyes of the room were still on her. Her nervousness increased again and she tried to squash it down hard. If she got too nervous, she could end up saying something everyone was going to regret later. She was suddenly grateful Al was in town because tomorrow she was going to spar with him and take all of this out on him. Given how tense she had been lately, there was even a chance she could actually beat him this time.

The questions began and without even an exchanged glance, they split the questions three ways. The Fuhrer answered all those relating to Liore and its fallout, and between them, Roy took care of the ones regarding Edward's service record and duties and she replied to the ones about her change and absence.

Edward found it easier than expected as the questions came to her. Yes, the change was permanent. Yes, she had made sure that this would not happen to anyone else. Yes, all the research had been destroyed along with the alchemist involved. No, she was not going to reveal who it was because she didn't know who it had been. No, it was not a good idea to force alchemists to register with the State. Yes, all those responsible for that transmutation four years ago were all gone. No, they wouldn't be coming back. No, alchemists should not have to report everything they researched to the State.

"Jerlo! Stop that." Kinase interjected as the man opened his mouth for another question. "I said there was to be none of that this time. This is a specifically targeted session, not a general one."

"These are valid concerns, Kinase!" Jerlo snapped back.

"I know they are, and if you want to discuss them, lets do so in the proper time and place. Like the next council meeting. Perhaps if you actually came to one of the meetings, you'd get your questions answered and you wouldn't bore everyone with your continual harping on the subject."

Edward shared a quick look with Mustang. He didn't look too surprised. Ed frowned slightly. She didn't understand why the man seemed to be going after all alchemists. State Alchemists had been seen as the untrustworthy ones. Alchemists who stayed in one place and offered their services to their community were always treated well, were seen as assets to have. She recalled the high regard Teacher had always been held in. It was only students and idiots who had been educated with a hard right and even harder left. She wondered if this Jerlo had similar reasons to Evan Moore for his attitude. And given the lack of surprise on Mustang's face, just how prevalent was this opinion?

"Ok, Jerlo. Question time is closed and you and I can have a little chat outside while everyone else has coffee." Kinase replied to some comment Edward had missed and she blinked. She was going to be able to sit down now? And coffee, she could kill for coffee right about now, she thought. She looked at the other two. Why weren't they moving yet?

"You can't do that, Kinase."

"Yes, I can. We've gone over the hour set for this and I really want my coffee and I know others want theirs." He took a breath. "Jerlo, this is not something that can be decided in five minutes, or even five days. You have concerns and you know the correct channels to go through. Use them or don't raise the issue again." The Councillor's voice became cold and the sharp edge had Jerlo blinking at him. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, coffee and desserts are being served and the dancing will commence shortly. My apologies for our little digression and I hope you continue to enjoy the evening." The Councillor bowed his head slightly and the Fuhrer moved, Roy and Edward automatically falling in behind him and they walked the few steps back to their table.

Edward sat down with an audible sigh of relief.

"Don't get too comfortable, Edward. We have to go round the tables now." Kinase said in a casual voice and Ed stared at him.

"You have got to be fu…joking me!" Edward nearly bit her tongue in half as she struggled to control her temper and her language. She had just been on display for the whole damned room to gawk at and now she had to do it individually as well? When was she going to get a chance to try and sort out her muddled mind?

"Afraid not, Edward." He looked almost apologetic as he replied. "We need to reinforce what you just said up there and by going around and talking to those who didn't ask a question helps with that. Most will just want to meet you, to be able they say they met you." Edward groaned and he laughed.

"Do I get coffee first?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, you can carry it with you." He laughed as she groaned again.

* * *

Roy leant back in his chair and watched the lights playing on the golden head as she moved from table to table. For all her reluctance she appeared to be enjoying herself. He had heard laughter at most of the tables she had sat at and he could see her smiling. He wondered just how forced that smile was and he wondered how much longer it would be before she returned and he could ask her for a dance.

"She's coping very well with all of this, isn't she?" The Fuhrer suddenly said and Roy turned, startled before he regained his composure.

"Yes Sir." He replied with a smile. "Although I have no doubt she will be complaining tomorrow."

"As long as those complaints do not end up on my desk, I think I can safely let you take care of it." Sterben remarked. "After all, you are her commanding officer."

"But you are mine, Sir." Roy retorted without thinking.

The Fuhrer laughed. "You would never admit that you couldn't handle her." And his eyes were sharp even as his voice was light.

"True, Sir." Roy nodded in recognition of both words and look. He turned his head to spot her again and saw her laughing as she and the Councillor left one table and headed to the next. He frowned slightly. He would have expected at least one Edward-explosion by now, but there had been nothing. She was being perfectly agreeable and well-behaved. It was unnatural, it wasn't Edward. And she was with the Councillor as well. Since when had those two become civil to each other?

"She is quite safe with him." The Fuhrer's voice was amused as he watched the dark eye almost glare across the room.

"I'm sure she is." He replied in a voice which did not have the conviction his words implied. The Fuhrer smiled slightly.

"Perhaps you should go and join them. Show a united front." He murmured in an overly casual tone. Roy shot him a sharp glance and Sterben looked blandly back at him. But his eyes twinkled and Roy felt his lips twitch.

"As you command, Sir." He stood up and bowed his head slightly before slipping away from the table.

"It's plain to see where Eric gets it from, Michael." Bird's voice drifted lightly to the Fuhrer and he smiled at the old man.

"I try my best, Bird." He smirked slightly and they laughed.

* * *

Edward smiled again and knew her face was going to ache tomorrow. She was never going to smile again, ever. She hadn't realised just how hard it was to do this continuously. Smile, speak nicely, don't swear, don't threaten the idiots, don't try and drink the coffee because someone always asked a question the minute she tried and above all, do not keep looking across to see what Mustang was doing. She had found out that she could repeat answers to repeated questions, that a lot of people did just want to be able to say they had met her, and that Roy Mustang was still sitting in his chair.

"You're doing well, Edward." Kinase said as they headed towards yet another table.

"How many fucking tables are there?" She groused, her control wearing thin for a brief moment.

"Too many probably." He looked at her and saw the tension around her eyes. He couldn't initiate an insult war, not just yet, and not in the middle of the room. "One more table and we'll go back to ours for a break before we do the rest."

"Okay." She looked over to the table and saw Mustang wasn't there anymore. She automatically began to scan the room for him. Kinase watched the golden eyes move in a brief searching pattern and then fix on their target. He turned his head slightly. Mustang was standing next to a tall brunette who was smiling quite brightly at him. He held back his smile. It had taken her a breath to unerringly pick the man out in a room filled with black suits and moving people. And he had his back to her.

He watched her eyes narrow as a small frown crossed her forehead as she looked at the woman he was talking to. The frown deepened as her eyes glared and she blinked and there was complete bafflement on her face. Kinase could read her 'what the hell was that?' thought as if she'd spoken out loud. He saw Mustang turn around, his eye finding Edward and starting to smile at her. He nearly laughed as Edward's frown reappeared and she turned away to hide it. She missed seeing a matching frown on Mustang's face and the glare that settled on the Councillor's suddenly broadly smiling face.

Kinase held the Lieutenant-General's gaze for a long moment, keeping his wide smile fixed in place before turning slightly and bending his head down closer to Edward. He caught a glimpse of a black frown and he let his smile drop.

"Edward?" He queried.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him. He could see she was still puzzled and debated briefly for a moment. But he didn't think she would appreciate knowing he had read her so easily. How interesting her reactions were, he thought.

"Let's skip this table for now. You need to come dancing with me." He watched as she blinked and he saw the colour rise in her face.

"I need to what?" She stared blankly at him, her mind whirling, completely bewildered.

"Come and dance." He repeated as he caught her hand and tugged her gently as he took a step towards the other side of the tables. She nearly stumbled and he shifted his arm to link it with hers as he walked her along.

"I can't dance." She hissed as she began to think again. "And I certainly don't want to dance with you."

"You can dance. I saw you at the Ball." He said calmly.

"That's the only dance I know." She admitted begrudgingly. "And I still don't want to dance with you, asshole." She wondered how she could get out of this without actually hitting him and causing a major scene.

"I know." He said quietly and she looked up at him as he stopped at the edge of the dance area. "I know very well that you don't want to dance with me. But I also know that you need to relax for a moment and not have to be polite to everyone, and this is the only place you can do it without actually leaving the room."

Edward stared at him. It galled her slightly to know he was right. She hadn't thought she had been so obvious, she had thought she had managed to keep it all hidden. The tension she could feel within her had started to make her shoulders and the back of her neck ache. She sighed.

"Who said you could stop being an asshole?" She asked him and he smiled as he lifted her gloved left hand and brushed his lips over the back of her knuckles. Her eyes went wide.

"Edward, I have no intention of stopping. I've only just started." He grinned at her and she laughed despite herself as he led her onto the dance floor.

* * *

Roy Mustang knew what the word jealous meant. Quite often in his past he had had people tell him they were jealous of him. Havoc had continually harped on it. Jealousy was something he had caused in other people. He knew exactly what the word meant. And as he watched Eric Kinase kiss Edward Elric's hand before making her laugh and then placing an arm around her and beginning to dance with her, he knew exactly how jealousy felt.

He never knew how he managed to stop himself from snapping and incinerating the smug asshole right there and then. He had never felt the overwhelming urge to hurt, _maim, kill,_ someone like this before. He had been angry when Riza had told him about the contractor, irate with the arrogant jerk at the exam and completely furious when he had seen her posting papers. This was almost as much as he had wanted to tear apart whoever had murdered his best friend. Except that had been a cold angry hate, this was a white hot flame right in the middle of his chest. And this one had a pain that sat there right under that flame, and he had to resist the need to scratch through his ribs to get to it.

He felt himself breathe in and then out. He blinked and he could still see them, moving slowly because he knew that Edward only knew one dance and _she probably wasn't feeling that comfortable in those shoes either and she should be dancing with me because I taught her that dance and not some fucking asshole of a Councillor who she doesn't even like. And if she doesn't like him, why had she agreed to dance, why had she let him kiss her hand, and why was she smiling? Dammit, why am i standing here and letting her dance with someone else anyway?_

"General? Roy?" The voice beside him became audible through his roiling thoughts and he turned back to the brunette who had accosted him as he had been on his way to Edward. He smiled automatically and emptily at her.

"Yes?"

"I wondered if you intended to ask me to dance?" She asked, her voice dropping slightly as her hand brushed lightly at his forearm and he held back his sigh. He knew the type. Attracted to the perception of power. Regardless of how he looked. He had seen the way she kept flicking glances at his patch. It made her uneasy. She obviously had not had much to do with scars at all. _Not like Edward._

"Actually I have no intention of asking you." He said with a polite bluntness and she took a step back. "If you will excuse me…" he let his words drift into silence as he inclined his head and walked away, keeping a polite and distant air about him. He needed somewhere to hide, some place where he couldn't see them, where innocent bystanders weren't going to get hurt.

He headed straight for the men's bathroom and was greatly relieved to see it empty. He let his temper slip as he used his foot to open one of the cubicle doors. His eye focused on the toilet bowl and he snapped. Clouds of steam erupted as he snapped again and again. He cursed low and fluently in every language he knew and moved onto the next bowl, snapping until the air was so heavy with steam it was as thick as fog.

He leant against the wall and looked at the room. The acrid tang of alchemy was very noticeable as was the condensation starting to collect and run down the walls. And he had worried about Edward losing her self-control.

"You are an absolute fucking idiot, Roy Mustang," he told himself and wondered how long it took for the cisterns to refill before he could snap again.

* * *

The Councillor was a good dancer. He guided Edward with a light touch and he kept a reasonable distance between them. It took her a few moments before he felt her relax enough to move smoothly with him, but he stayed at a slow pace to give her confidence.

The frown was coming back to her face he noticed, and he looked for the obvious cause but he couldn't see Mustang anywhere. Edward was not looking around, she seemed to be staring straight at his tie and getting lost in whatever thoughts were causing her to frown and bringing that puzzled look to her eyes. It can't be easy for her, he thought as he studied her. Having so much of her life revealed to a roomful of strangers. And it hadn't been simple details like where were you born and what your family was like. It hadn't even been sharing the information, because no-one else had shared anything. Only Edward. Only her secrets had been told.

He was impressed with how well she had controlled herself so far. He had seen parts of her temper several times and he thoroughly enjoyed their little insulting matches. There weren't many that would dare speak to him like she did. He didn't think she realised just where he stood in the scheme of things and he was quite prepared to leave her unknowing, although he doubted it would make a difference when she found out. If there was one thing his short acquaintance with Edward Elric had taught him, it was that she cared little for appearances.

"You do look very lovely, Edward," he heard himself saying and golden eyes looked at him, a thin eyebrow raised. Disbelief, wariness and curiousity flickered across her face.

"Why would you say that?" She asked. Roy had said the same thing when he had picked her up but the look in his eye had been very different to the one she could see in Kinase's eyes.

"Because it's true. Didn't you look in the mirror before you left?"

"No," She frowned at him. Why was he talking about this when she had more important things to consider? Like why had she felt a pang when she had seen Roy standing next to that dark-haired woman? It had been a very similar feeling as to when the Councillor had commented on how Mustang had looked. And why was the asshole smiling at her like that?

"You don't know, do you?" He queried.

"Know what?"

"You honestly haven't got a clue." He grinned at her and she frowned at him. He was laughing at her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a low, almost threatening voice.

"Stop trying to break my fingers and I'll tell you." He replied and she looked at their joined hands. Her right hand was fisting around his and she loosened them abruptly.

"Shit."

He shook his head at her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure the circulation will start up again one day." He quipped lightly before he tilted his head, and he dropped the frivolous manner. "You really don't know how lovely you look, do you Edward? I see a beautiful woman in a lovely dress and the most wonderful hair and you don't."

"Of course I don't." She looked at him as if he'd just said that white was white. "I know I look like a woman, I'm not exactly blind you know. You noticed the dress, what a surprise." Sarcasm laced her voice. "Perhaps you're forgetting one small little thing. I am not female, I only look it."

"So you tell me." He kept his eyes on hers and his voice lowered as he steered her past another dancing couple. "But I, and everyone else, see you as female, and a lovely one at that."

"I know that," she repeated with a sigh. This was not something she wanted to discuss with him.

"Perhaps its time you did." He said in a pensive tone and she looked up at him, suspicious of the change in him.

"What do you mean?"

"See yourself as others do."

Edward stopped moving. She frowned at him. "You think all I need to do is look in a mirror and say 'oh look I'm a woman'?" Her voice stayed low. "If I know I look like a woman, I'm suddenly going to_ be _one? What a load of shit, Councillor. What people see is not what I _feel_. Do you know how it feels to know that how you are perceived is not who you are?" Edward took a deep breath and she had to consciously loosen her fingers again. Her temper was starting fray and she knew this was the worst place and in front of the worst person to have a tantrum.

"Do you honestly think they'd care, even if they knew?" He retorted and she stopped. The colour left her face. "People will always see what they want to see, Edward. Very few, if any of these people here tonight saw you when you were younger. They don't remember you as a teenager, as a _boy_. They see you as a woman, and no matter how many times you tell them you used to be male or that you are a male, it won't change anything. As long as it doesn't happen to them, they don't care." He put his hand at her elbow and pulled her off the dance floor. "People are selfish, Edward. They will stare at you because you're different, because you have a strange story, but very few will really care about _you_."

She pulled her arm free as soon as they had moved away from the other dancers. She stared up at him, golden eyes flashing. "I know that, for fuck's sake, how many times do I have to say that to people? Do I have the words 'idiot' tattooed across my face somewhere? And I don't recall having a sign hanging around my neck saying 'lets talk about this' either. This is none of your business, Councillor."

"Actually it is. You are going to be asked to be the liaison between Central Council and the Military, and you have no idea the amount of trouble I am going to be in for telling you this now. So you are going to be seeing me on a weekly basis at least and we are going to be working together occasionally."

"No fucking way!" Edward exclaimed, her hands waving about. He frowned as her voice rose and he grabbed her hands, holding them firmly. He leant closer.

"Not so loud, and yes fucking way. Because you look female and because you're an alchemist, you get to be a symbol. So you need to get whatever problem you have with these perceptions sorted out, because no-one you're going to be dealing with is going to see you as anything other than a woman, Edward." Brown eyes met hers unapologetically. "Welcome to politics. Where what you look like is what people are going to judge you by. Where what you don't say is more important than what you do, and who you know is never who you can talk about."

"I will refuse the position." She stated and tugged at his grip.

"Good luck with that," he said seriously and gripped tighter. "You know you won't be able to refuse Michael."

"Watch me." She said in a determined voice. "I am not going to accept something like that."

"Edward, you may not have a choice. You're a soldier and he can always make it an order. Aren't you here tonight because of something similar?"

"You're an asshole." She hissed at him.

"Tell me something different." He retorted. "We're digressing. Let's stop playing for a moment. The point is that you and I are going to be working together and we need to get some things straight between us."

"And knowing I don't like you and think you're an asshole doesn't count?" Edward sniped back.

"No." He sighed and looked at her. "No wonder Mustang kissed you. It's the only way to stop you mouthing off."

* * *

Roy Mustang left the bathroom cleaner than it had ever been. The condensation had been running down the walls, and he had to plot and draw a circle to clear the puddles up which had also removed the dirt. And all because the steamy fog had made his gloves damp and that had simply reinforced his observation that he was indeed an idiot.

Jealousy was for those who had doubts, and he didn't have doubts. Edward liked him. He had seen it in her eyes, her voice. He had never been jealous before in his life, it probably wasn't even jealousy he'd felt. Maybe that fish had been off. Just because Edward had let some important moronic asshole kiss her hand and lead her to dance did not automatically mean he had to feel jealous. She probably hadn't had a choice, he thought. After all, Kinase was the Councillor, and hadn't Roy spent four years trying to instil a measure of decorum into Ed. So just because she had finally learnt and was actually behaving herself, he had to be jealous. No, it wasn't jealousy, it couldn't be jealousy. _Then why did I just spend ten minutes in the bathroom snapping my fingers sore?_

He was a slightly less tense idiot as he walked back to the table. His eye scanned the dancing couples and he couldn't see the golden blonde hair. He began to look around. She wasn't in her seat and neither was the councillor. His frown came back as he couldn't see either of them near any of the tables. He slipped into his seat beside the Fuhrer and took a sip of his drink.

"And how is the Lieutenant-Colonel doing?" The Fuhrer asked as he noticed the frown.

"I believe she's doing well, Sir." Roy replied, slightly disgruntled that he still couldn't see her. He wondered if he ought to take a walk around the room. She was probably sitting down somewhere, deep in a conversation with someone. He knew what she was like once she found something interesting. His eye swept the dance floor. At least she wasn't dancing anymore. The tight knot in his chest kept getting looser each time he didn't see her dancing with the Councillor. But what if it was the councillor she was deep in conversation with, he suddenly thought.

He absently shook his head. Those two couldn't hold a civilised conversation, they'd be trading insults instead. Like he and Ed used to do. Roy stilled in his seat as the knot in his chest suddenly made it difficult to breathe. No, he was just being silly, there was nothing to worry about. _Edward likes me._ _I am not jealous_.

"Did Eric say how much longer they'd be?" The Fuhrer asked, watching his usually impassive Lieutenant-General appearing slightly uneasy.

"No Sir." Roy replied and then felt compelled to add. "They were dancing."

The Fuhrer's eyebrows shot up and he had to take a breath before he trusted his voice. "Dancing?"

"Yes Sir." Roy noticed nothing unusual in the Fuhrer's manner as he looked around again.

The Fuhrer bit his lip as he watched Mustang. No wonder the man looked uneasy he thought, although Michael knew that Eric was in more danger from Edward than she was from him. Although it was a surprise to hear that Eric had actually ventured onto the dance floor. The man could dance, but he usually preferred to work the tables, talking and dancing with words. How curious he thought, and he wondered if Eric was aware of the effect of his action was having on Mustang. Knowing Eric, he probably was, the Fuhrer's lips twitched into a wry smile.

Mustang straightened in his seat. A single sound escaped the Lieutenant-General before his jaws locked together. The Fuhrer looked at him and then followed his line of sight. The dancers had thinned slightly and he could see Edward and Eric on the other side of them. They were standing very close, Eric's head lowered to just beside hers. Eric had Edward's hands caught between them and they appeared to be in a deep conversation.

The Fuhrer looked at Mustang. The dark eye was glaring in a very pale face. Gloved hands were fisted on the table. It was like a shutter falling, the Fuhrer watched it happen. A slow breath out and that single eye closed. A breath in and it re-opened and the glare was gone, replaced by a blank empty stare. Another breath and the hands un-fisted, fingers flicking to smooth out the creases marking the rough fabric. A third slow breath and he leant back in his seat, a hand casually at his side, fingers running along the watch chain at his hip.

"I believe their dance is finished," the voice was calm and cool and only the pallor remained to tell the Fuhrer that the Ice General was not completely in control.

"So I see."

The dancers moved and blocked their view and the Fuhrer heard Mustang's breathing hitch before he turned to the side and began talking to Bird. Sterben held back his frown and looked across and was rewarded with a quick glimpse of Eric suddenly letting go of Edward's hands and stepping back. Even from here he could see Edward's face had gone red. He stood up and looked at Mustang. He was deliberately not looking at anything other than Bird, and appeared to be wholly engrossed in his conversation.

Sterben stepped away from the table and made his way around the room. He moved casually and was grateful that his position allowed him to merely nod and smile and keep moving. He hadn't reached the dance floor when he saw Edward and Eric walking towards him. Their earlier impression of closeness was gone and they stayed a good foot from each other.

"Eric, Edward." He said smoothly and they stopped in front of him.

"Sir." They both said. He looked from one to the other. Edward was not happy. It was obvious in her stance and in her eyes. If she could, she would leave. She was radiating an unwillingness to be here and he wondered just what Eric had done this time. Although Eric might not be the whole problem he thought, as he saw the golden eyes look past him and in the direction of their table.

"I believe it's your turn to dance with the Lieutenant-Colonel, Sir," Eric said smoothly as he took a step to the side. The Fuhrer looked at the guileless brown eyes and knew that something was bothering the Councillor. Something had happened and both were not happy about it.

"I'd be delighted." He relied equally smoothly although his eyes indicated that they would be having a long talk later. Eric gave a small shrug and bowed his head before stepping back. The Fuhrer looked at Edward and extended his arm. "Lieutenant-Colonel."

Edward frowned and then forced a smile to her face as she placed her hand on his arm. "Yes Sir."

* * *

Edward was fast approaching the point of needing to get out of here. What had started out so easily had become a muddled mess and she was finding it hard to stay calm and balanced. She knew the exact moment everything had begun to tilt and she had thought she had gotten it back, but then it had all gone sideways again. It didn't help that she was beginning to feel that Mustang had abandoned her. So much for all his 'be here together' talk.

As far as she knew, apart from that one time, he hadn't left the table. He could have come along with her as she did the table thing. It would have been much better if he'd been there. Then she wouldn't have ended up dancing with the councillor and she wouldn't be rolling through thoughts she had no time to assimilate.

"What did Eric do?" The Fuhrer's voice broke into her confusion and she blinked, suddenly realising she was dancing. She had been too distracted to take note of her surroundings.

"He was just being an asshole." She muttered, not wanting to think about him, not wanting to remember what he had said. She didn't want to talk about anything, she wanted to go home, to get out of here. She needed to find something to hit and then a dark corner to hide in for a few hours.

"I don't believe you. You look like you're ready run and he's not looking much better."

"He looked fine to me."

The Fuhrer sighed. "I have known him for a long time, I know when something is bothering him." He looked at her and his voice firmed. "I'll give you to the end of next week to sort out your differences."

Edward looked at him, a startled expression on her face.

"I don't want details, Fullmetal, I just want it done." The eyes were stern and she was brought up against the knowledge, that easy going as he had been so far this evening, he was the Fuhrer and she was merely his subordinate.

"Yes Sir." She said and tried hard not to reveal her reluctance. Great, just fucking great. He was going to order her to become a liaison just like that asshole had said and he wanted them to be on at least talking terms before he told her. She just knew it. She looked across at their table and saw the Councillor talking to Mustang.

She frowned as the Councillor leant forward to say something and the sight of him being so close to Mustang sent that strange pang through her again. Her eyes narrowed. Why wasn't Roy moving back, she wondered. She knew he didn't like people getting too close, and yet he was letting the asshole get close? Why am I worried about this, she thought. _Roy likes me, he said so. The Councillor said Roy was good-looking. Does that mean he likes him too?_ _But that doesn't matter, does it? Because Roy said he liked me. So why do I feel strange like this? What the fuck is happening to me?_

"It would be beneficial if you would dance with several other people as well." The Fuhrer said, and it took her a few moments to process his words and to halt the instinctive 'fuck no' that threatened to escape. "I don't wish to pressure you, Edward, but there are some things you need to realise. From now on people are going to expect you to be at these events. Not every single one, but you will be required to appear occasionally. The story we told tonight is going to spread everywhere tomorrow. And people are going to interpret it in all sorts of ways. You can never deviate from what we have said, no matter the provocation."

Edward nodded at that. She hadn't intended to change anything because then Al's involvement could be exposed, and there was no way she was going to let that happen. Having to appear in public like this did not make her happy. Even knowing she didn't have to go every one didn't make it feel any better. It was still being out on display and this first one was becoming more than enough to last her several lifetimes.

"Also, as we implement the changes to State Alchemy, you will be assigned to some of the inspection tours. Garmin and Farrel are here tonight, but there are many who couldn't attend. And they will hear about the impending changes from those who are present, and they will hear about you. And sending you out there will enable them to have all their questions answered."

"If I had known this would happen when you persuaded me to re-enlist, I would have refused." She said slowly.

"I didn't know either. All I can do is take advantage of everything I can, as best I can, to ensure Amestris stays safe and prospers." She stared up at him and he met her gaze evenly. There was regret but no apology in his face. The music stopped and they did too. Both bowed slightly and Edward kept her eyes on his. She recognised it in him. He had a goal, a vision, and she knew exactly just how focused and determined it could make you. And without intending to, she had become part of whatever it was he saw.

It was hard and lonely being the one with the goal, the vision. She had had four years of that, even with Al at her side she had sometimes felt completely alone. She wondered how different it was going to be being a part of someone else's. Because she wouldn't be the only one being used. She looked over at the table. There were at least two others.

"Now, I know that there's probably only one person here you'd actually agree to dance with, _without_ having your arm twisted." His face eased into a smile as her head whipped back to face him. He began to lead her from the floor. "Just don't forget to dance with a few more people as well."

* * *

Roy watched them coming back to the table. There was a pink tinge to her face and even from here, he could see she was tense. But she looked lovely and he liked her and he was going to ask her to dance as soon as they got back to the table. He frowned as they got stopped by someone wanting to talk. _Dammit_, he swore silently and stood up. He had been patient, he had not burned down the building, he hadn't even seared the asshole of a Councillor and he was not going to wait any longer. Taking refuge behind the Ice General façade had not really worked. All it had done was make his shoulders and head ache as he had struggled to not go back and snap his fingers in the bathroom again.

He strode towards them, putting on a civil smile as he got closer and even managed to keep it in place as he heard the stranger asking Edward to dance.

"I'm sorry, the Lieutenant-Colonel had already promised this one to me," he interjected smoothly. He blandly met the equally blank face of the Fuhrer, although he caught the slight gleam in those pale eyes. He smiled emptily and politely at the stranger as he caught Edward's hand and placed it on his arm. "If you will excuse us?" He was exceedingly polite and didn't wait for a response before turning away and leading Edward back to the dancing area.

"What the fuck are you doing, bastard?" She hissed at him, unbalanced by his sudden appearance and actions.

"Don't start, Edward. If we don't dance now, I am going to incinerate the Hall." He turned slightly, his arm sliding around and pulling her closer. She hadn't been this close to him since they had kissed. He began to lead her through the steps and she realised she hadn't danced this close to anyone before either. Both the Councillor and the Fuhrer had kept a comfortable distance between them, even that first lesson with Mustang had had a distance.

But not this time. This time his arm was around her back, not just a hand at her waist. This time her legs brushed his as they stepped back and forth. A bare inch separated them and she could feel the solid warmth of him. The top of her head was about level with his nose and she could smell his cologne as she stared at his chin. It was suddenly hard to concentrate on anything and the retort died somewhere between her brain and her mouth.

Smooth. He was smooth and she moved easily to his lead. The strange pang she had felt earlier dissolved somewhere beneath the warmth. She was dancing with Roy and he liked her. _Dancing with Roy._ It was so different to dancing with anyone else. Was that because of the like thing? It had to be. For once she didn't want to second guess the most obvious answer. She didn't want to find the justifications for this feeling.

Letting herself feel anything other than anger and determination was strange, and it made her feel self-conscious. Edward Elric just didn't admit to these things. Even to herself. It was easier to justify the emotions that grabbed without warning than it was to give herself permission to just feel something. This liking feeling however wasn't asking for permission, it was becoming nothing but solid feeling with angles and facets that drove her thoughts into places she had never known before.

Roy's eyebrow rose as the expected insult never appeared and he tilted his head slightly. She seemed to be lost in thought somewhere. Her eyes were a bit unfocused but she followed him as he led her around the floor. She fitted into his arm as if she had been made for it, he thought and nearly tripped as he realised how sappy he sounded. But he couldn't find another way to describe the feeling of how right it felt to hold her like this.

He was going to have to teach her how to slow dance, anything to be able to close that last inch that separated them without actually kissing her in full view of everyone. That being the only other way of closing the gap that he could think of, and he knew he wouldn't get away with that here.

He let out his breath silently and felt his shoulders ease slightly. All his earlier concerns seemed a bit distant as he felt her warmth beneath his arm. He could think about them later. Along with everything else, it could wait until later. He was finally dancing with Edward and he was going to let himself enjoy every moment of it. He liked her and she liked him. And he had been wanting to dance with her for so long, it was really happening at long last. Nothing could take away his pleasure in this moment. He smiled into her hair. Tomorrow night he was going to take her to dinner. He would ask her when the dance finished.

"Hey, Roy." Edward's voice was filled with curiousity and when he looked down there was a slightly puzzled look on her face.

"What?" He smiled at the easy way his name slipped out.

"Do you think the Councillor looks good?"

* * *

Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a Merry and safe Christmas. And I hope Santa brings all you want…or at least chocolate…

Thank you once again for the reviews and comments and the support you give me. It truly is awesome and I am always so grateful to you all…Hvala lepa.

silken :)


	29. “We’re in this together”

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 29: "We're in this together."**

"_Do you think the Councillor looks good?"_

Roy Mustang blinked as his mind went completely blank before he began to think of every possible reaction from burning the hall down to burning the Councillor down, from saying 'of course not' to 'yes he is' even though he didn't think so; it all went through his mind. From returning to the bathroom to let off steam, literally, to leaving the building and taking her with him. Everything he could do he thought about while he somehow kept moving and staring at her.

Edward wondered at the lengthening silence and his fixed stare. It had been a single question and he was reacting so strangely. He had smiled when he had first looked at her but that had disappeared as soon as she had finished speaking. She didn't understand this silence. He always answered her. With an insult, with a smirk, never with nothing. She watched as his face went blank and his eye didn't blink.

She didn't think the question was anything to send him off like this, so what was it? Was it something she had done? She had asked him a question. She had called him Roy. But that had been before the question. They were still dancing and that was still very nice, although his continuing silence was threatening that underlying warmth.

"Ok bastard, why are you going all Ice General on me?" Edward hissed in a low voice as he kept staring at her in silence.

"Your complete lack of understanding is not unexpected." The reply was low and strained. She blinked. He sounded as if he was going self-combust if he breathed too hard.

"Why else would I ask, moron? You start closing up for no apparent reason, of course I don't understand. I can't read your fucking mind." Edward snapped back, not liking this strange behaviour and not afraid to let him know that.

"And your timing is perfectly deplorable as well."

"Timing for what? This is the first chance I've had to talk to you all evening." Edward glared at him.

"I'm well aware of that fact and I was quite content to just dance without the need to start asking questions or any conversation for that matter."

"This is the only time I have to ask."

"There's always tomorrow." He stated firmly, struggling to keep himself in check.

"No. There is no way I'm going to discuss this anywhere near where Winry and Riza are." Edward was already sure they would corner her tomorrow and demand to know everything that happened tonight.

Roy's eyebrow went up at the emphatic tones. "What did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything to Winry. Al did. But I'll get blamed for it somehow, and I only hung up on Riza."

"You hung up on Riza?" Roy shook his head. He was getting distracted. "No, don't explain. I don't think I want to know anyway."

"Me neither. But the thing is I don't have any other chance to talk about any of this and, dammit, it's your fault for being so easy to talk to, bastard, and there's no-one else I can talk to." Ed's frustration at his behaviour was evident in her eyes and voice.

"So, because of all that, you want to know if I think the Councillor looks good?" Roy asked, his voice straining again as he attempted to repeat the words without letting any of his inner turmoil out.

"Yes. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Edward spoke matter-of-factly although she was still baffled by his behaviour. "He said you looked good, I wanted to know if you thought the same."

Roy Mustang tripped.

* * *

"You are becoming a problem."

"I know."

The two men stood watching the room and Eric smiled slightly.

"Life would be so boring if I wasn't." He added with a sly grin.

"It would be more manageable." The Fuhrer replied. "And you have a week to sort out whatever you and Edward were …discussing."

"There's nothing to sort out." Eric said overly casually, picking out Edward and Mustang on the dance floor. He smirked slightly as he noticed how close to each other they were. "Besides I think Mustang can sort out Edward better than I ever could."

"I don't doubt that, but they already have an understanding of each other. You however don't, and you need to at least make a start on one. I refuse to get caught in the middle of any disagreements you might have."

"That wouldn't happen."

"Oh?" The Fuhrer looked at Kinase with a sarcastic tilt to his mouth. "You'd be mouthing off on one side and I'd have Mustang on the other complaining at whatever you did to Edward."

"He wouldn't do that."

"No he wouldn't, but I'd rather he complained than let Edward handle it herself. If she did, I'd have half the city in ruins and your head on a pike outside my door after every argument."

"Then why did you choose her for this, Michael?" Eric lowered his voice and leant closer. "She's had absolutely no experience with either military or civic duties that I can see. She's more tactless than I am. She's barely twenty and don't get me started on all this sex change stuff plus she's an alchemist. You know how fond of alchemists a lot of people _aren't_. For a usually smart man you seem to have lost a wheel somewhere."

"Yes, she is all of those things. She's also extremely intelligent, logical to a fault and not afraid to say what she thinks. She's not some bureaucrat who can't open his mouth without thinking it through in triplicate. She's not afraid to show her ignorance or to use her intelligence. She learns, Eric. And she has Mustang at her side."

"Where one goes, the other follows?" Eric queried lightly even as he frowned.

"Yes."

"You do realise those two will kill you when they figure it out, don't you?" Eric said after a long pause.

"I have you to protect me." The Fuhrer replied with a sly grin.

"I might just line up behind them," Eric retorted.

* * *

Roy found Edward flush against him as he tried to regain his balance both physically and mentally. Everything he had just been thinking vanished as his arm tightened to keep her there.

"What's gotten into you, bastard?" Edward muttered breathlessly as she felt the warmth of him pressed against her. Shit, last time they had been this close he had been kissing her. He wasn't going to do that now, was he? Her face was going red, she could feel it and there was no way she was going to look up at him.

"This is your fault, Edward," he muttered and she stiffened. "This whole evening, this is all because you agreed to come. It's all your fault that I have no idea what I'm going to be faced with whenever you open your mouth. It's your fault that I can't relax for two minutes. It's your fault that I can not have one single dance with you without it turning into some surreal nightmare I never imagined existed. I thought I had finally managed to get a moment of reprieve but apparently not."

"My fault …what?" It sounded as if the bastard was ranting and he never ranted, not like she did, and she tried to pull back but his arm kept her close. She risked a look at him and his eye was focused on her. She shivered at the intensity she saw and he noticed.

"Tomorrow, I will pick you up and we will go for lunch and you can ask all the questions you want before we go to Gracia's." He kept his voice level as her eyes widened and he wondered how long he was going to keep his sanity let alone his self-control after the complete rollercoaster he had been sliding around for the last few minutes. "Then if you still have some questions, we will go to dinner and we will stay there until there are no more questions."

Edward blinked. She had heard that voice many times as she was growing up. The "I am the Colonel and I don't care what you think, you will do what I say' tone that he dragged out when he was reaching the end of his tether. There were two ingrained responses in Edward to this tone. One was to ignore whatever the bastard was saying and stomp off as noisily and loudly as he could; the other was to slam his hands on the desk and to go where no-one sane ever went by baiting the Colonel into a full-blown display of temper.

She suddenly became aware of a third choice as she nodded and said "Okay."

Roy Mustang tripped again.

* * *

Roy watched as Edward smiled through yet another dance and his fingers drummed on the table again. He pulled his watch out and looked at the time. Only fifteen minutes had passed since the last time he had looked. He looked at his empty coffee cup. Another cup would have him up all night. He looked around. A neat shot of whiskey would have done wonders about now, but all he could see were wine glasses and wine really wasn't strong enough to match his mood right now. He sighed.

"A problem, General?" Bird asked.

"Not really. Just wishing for something extra in my coffee, or just something extra."

"Ah, they don't serve spirits for these events." Bird grinned. "We had to ban the stronger stuff a few years ago. Some people just couldn't handle it." He gave a small laugh and his eyes twinkled. Roy smiled, wondering what memory had caused that laugh.

"Something amusing you, old man?" The Councillor suddenly appeared at the table and looked from one to the other.

"Just remembering your escapade of a few years back." Bird replied and Roy watched a slight blush appear on the Councillor's face before he grinned widely.

"Admit it, Bird, you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"_No-one_ enjoyed it as much as you did, Eric." Bird retorted. "And you couldn't even remember half of it."

"I remembered the important bits." Kinase sounded slightly defensive.

"But they weren't the funniest moments." Bird grinned at him.

"I still think you're taking advantage of my temporary memory loss and lying about the table thing."

"Trust me Eric, I would make up something a lot more embarrassing than that if I was going to take advantage of you."

"And dancing on the table isn't embarrassing enough?"

"With only a tablecloth on?"

Roy half listened as he pulled out his watch to look at the time again.

"Impatient to leave, Lieutenant-General?" Kinase's smooth voice said as he moved to sit down next to him. Roy didn't sigh but his eye narrowed. He hadn't forgotten what Edward had asked. He doubted he was ever going to forget what Edward had said. He wondered just what the Councillor was up to.

"No, Councillor." Roy replied as sedately as he could. Kinase laughed.

"Let us pretend for the moment that I believe you." The voice stayed light as he leant in. "Earlier we discussed alchemists being used for civic works on a contractual basis as a way to begin changing some opinions and impressions. Are you still open to finding a way to make it feasible?"

"On a small scale to begin with, yes." Roy frowned and turned slightly to meet the brown eyes. "Military duties will always take precedence. A contract would have to make allowances for that."

"Agreed, as would limiting the number of contracts available at any given time." Kinase remarked.

"And only alchemists with certain lengths of service behind them would be available. I'm not having raw recruits put out there with no idea how to handle themselves." Roy stated.

"Good, I had gotten so far myself. Once a liaison track is in place, then we can push further with this." Kinase leant back in his chair and surveyed the one-eyed man. "I can see why she likes you, and our working together won't interfere with that."

Roy blinked. "Working together?" He was bewildered at the sudden change of subject and kept his voice even, not prepared to show any of his confusion to this man.

"Yes, hasn't she mentioned it yet?" Kinase's eyes flickered to the dance floor and back. "I thought she would have told you by now. She has such an impulsive manner about her at times. I'm surprised she didn't say anything, but maybe she didn't want you finding out just yet."

Roy's eye flickered. The man was deliberately baiting him although the look in the brown eyes was strangely neutral. Before Roy could react, the Councillor spoke again.

"The last dance is coming and that impulsiveness could get her accepting someone else for that dance."

"The next time Edward gets an impulse to hit you, I am going to hold you down so she can do it." Roy stood up abruptly. "Excuse me."

"Hold me down? Is that a promise, Mustang?" The light voice echoed in his ears as he strode away looking for Edward.

"Eric." The Fuhrer's voice came from behind him and the edge in that single word told him just how much trouble he was in. He resisted the urge to rub his ear as it itched at the thought of the impending lecture. Ah well, he thought, he hadn't had this much fun at one of these dinners for a long time, so it was probably worth it. He grinned, he was going to get lectured anyway, he might as well make it a good one.

Eric tilted his head back over the chair and the brown eyes gleamed as he looked up at the Fuhrer.

"Your office or mine?"

* * *

"Roy? You're going to break my fingers, and Winry will break yours if you do that."

Roy looked at her right hand. Her fingers were all scrunched together as his hand gripped them hard. He knew she couldn't feel it. It was all automail and he became aware that gripping her automail so hard was driving the plated edges into his palm. His hand was hurting more than hers. His breath left him slowly as he concentrated on loosening his grip enough for her to straighten her fingers out, but not enough that he let go completely.

Her eyebrow rose as they circled the floor. She had been in the process of declining an offer to dance when he had appeared with a brief 'excuse me' and literally dragged her back to the dance floor. She had started to protest but he had laid a gloved finger on her lips with a black frown and she had cut her tirade short. Now he was staring at the top of her head and the frown was still there.

The Councillor had something to do with it, that much she knew. She had seen them talking again as she had danced. And Roy had come straight to her as she had been trying to get back to the table. Dancing again was not what she wanted to do. She would be happy never to dance again. Apart from the Councillor, the Fuhrer and Roy, all the other dances had been boring. Struggling to make small talk, trying not to let any hint of aching feet show in her face or her movements and resenting the fact that no-one seemed to want to help her get out of it. The Fuhrer had been dancing as well and he had smiled sympathetically a couple of times, but they had been few and far between. Obligations and responsibilities. She hated it.

And now she was stuck with a sullen bastard. She sighed. She was tired. Tired of dancing, tired of being here, just so damned tired. Without realising it she moved closer and she laid her head on his shoulder. She hid a yawn against his jacket and her eyes closed halfway. He was warm and solid. There was an aroma of coffee and alchemy mingled with his cologne. She frowned lazily. Why was he smelling like alchemy? She didn't remember scenting that on him earlier. But then she hadn't had her nose buried into his jacket earlier either.

Roy was shaken out his anger as she almost snuggled against him and he blinked to find her so close without his prompting. He smiled slightly as she followed his steps almost languidly. Edward was tired. He recognised the signs and wondered if she would fall asleep standing up. He wouldn't put it past her. She seemed to be able to fall asleep anywhere. He shifted his arm slightly to hold her more securely and she merely 'mmm'd' in response.

He let his breath out. His eyelid dropped slightly. She wasn't the only tired one. The whole evening had had him spinning in all directions. He had gone through more emotional twists tonight than he had in the last four years, he was sure of it. And he had questions to ask Edward. He needed to hear an explanation of several remarks from both her and the councillor. And knowing Edward, she had a whole slew of questions lined up, although hopefully not all of them were as startling as her earlier one. He still wasn't sure he had completely understood all she had said about that one.

He smiled slowly. It wasn't a complete disaster. He had Edward in his arms for the last dance and he had managed to invite her not only to dinner tomorrow, but to lunch as well. In fact he had nearly the whole day with her. He automatically began to wonder what could possibly go wrong before he caught himself up short and told the little voice to 'fuck off because nothing was going to go wrong, not this time'. It was strangely satisfying to be so blunt about it.

"Wake up Edward," he murmured as he heard the last bars of the music beginning.

"'m awake," came from somewhere against his chest.

"You don't sound it." She could feel his voice rumbling through his chest and she blinked a few times. She was probably more asleep than awake, but she was awake. She swallowed the yawn that made her ears pop.

"Is it nearly finished?" She asked her, head shifting slightly as she began to look around.

"Yes, this is the last dance."

"About fucking time," she said with obvious relief. "Why bother dancing the last one though? We could have sat down, we could've left even." Although she knew they were obligated to remain until the Fuhrer dismissed them, a bit of wishful thinking never went astray.

"The last dance is special." Roy replied, his smile evident in his words.

"What's so special about it?" Edward asked blinking slightly as his voice dropped into the sounds that always made her feel extra warm.

"It's usual to dance it with the person you're going home with." Roy said keeping his voice low as she lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.

"You're already taking me home. We came in the same car." Edward pointed out and he resisted the urge to shake her or kiss her or to do both at her denseness.

"Edward," he started to say and his lips twisted. He let his breath out and shook his head knowing Edward Elric had to be the most un-romantic person in existence. "Edward, the last dance is also for those who like each other. You had to dance with others, but nothing said we couldn't have the last dance together. I do like you and you did say you liked me, if I remember correctly."

Her eyes widened as her cheeks went pink. She didn't know how he could say the words so easily. It wasn't hard to think them, but saying them out loud made her feel self-conscious. She hadn't said them to him since that day in the office. It wasn't that she couldn't say the words at all, she had managed to say them to Al and Gracia, just not to him.

The music ended and they stopped moving. Just before Roy let go of her he leant closer, brushing his lips against her cheek.

"Thank you for the dance, Edward," he murmured before he straightened up, joining in the applause for a moment and then offering her his arm. Edward put her hand on his forearm and let him lead her from the floor, her face red and fighting an urge to touch that burning spot on her cheek where he had just kissed her.

They wove their way through people making their preparations to leave. Several people stopped them to talk and it took them a while to get back to the table. The Fuhrer and the Councillor had moved to a spot near the lectern and most people detoured past them on their way out. Edward and Roy moved to stand behind the Fuhrer after he caught their eye.

The warmth Edward had felt during that last dance was dissipating fast as her feet really began to ache, and she watched the dwindling crowd with a barely concealed eagerness. Roy thought she was probably counting them down as he saw her head turn again to scan the room. He also wanted to leave and he was hiding a frown as he tried to figure out how he was going to be able to kiss Edward with a driver present in the car.

It had never really mattered to him before if anyone did see, but four years had changed him and he did not want to open his personal life up that much for every one's perusal. Besides he knew Edward would object, strenuously as well. He was aware that people would soon find out. Those closest to them already knew. But they could be trusted not to say anything and they would help him protect Edward, because they all knew how she felt about public recognition. Her reaction to having_ her_ private life bruited about would be destructive, to say the least.

"Thank you Lieutenant-General, Lieutenant-Colonel for attending," the Fuhrer said and they saluted as the room finally cleared.

"Thank you Sir," they both murmured politely and Roy saw the Councillor wink at Edward who glowered back at him. Roy caught the Fuhrer's eye.

"Time to go, Edward." Roy lightly grasped her elbow and with a small bow began directing her towards the doors.

"And we have several matters to discuss, Eric." The Fuhrer's voice was firm. "Your office."

* * *

"I think the asshole is in for a long lecture," Edward smugly remarked around a yawn as she settled into the car, kicking her shoes off and curling her legs up. "The Fuhrer sounded pissed with him."

"He deserves it," Roy muttered as he watched her lean back with a contented sigh.

"What?" She asked, not having quite caught his words.

"Nothing." He shook his head. Time enough tomorrow to discuss all the Councillor had done, when he had calmed down a bit more to where the mere thought of the man did not cause his fingers to itch. Of more interest to him was Edward, and the way the scattered lights still burning this late flashed through the car window, illuminating her face as she sat there.

For all Edward's energy and enthusiasm, she was very comfortable with silence. She didn't feel the need to fill it with idle words just for the sake of talking. She was content to let it stay there, not feeling isolated because of it. She was aware of him beside her. She was always aware of him now. She couldn't remember how many times she had looked for him during the evening. Seeing him had eased the urge to lash out at several idiots. It hadn't mattered that he hadn't been looking at her, she had just needed to know he had been there.

Lunch tomorrow, she thought, feeling the tiredness creeping up again. And dinner. With him. How many of the questions she had managed to burden herself with could she ask him? Some were easy, but others? They were harder. But he was the only one who could answer them. Unless she tried Gracia again. She shook her head, her eyes closing. No, Gracia couldn't answer some of them, but there was one she could. And Gracia would probably understand it better than Roy did. That pang she had felt when the Councillor had spoken, the same one she had felt when she had seen him talking to that unknown woman. Feelings were something she didn't feel comfortable discussing with Roy, especially strange ones like that one. She yawned. She might actually be able to sleep tonight.

Roy felt her head collide with his upper arm as she slid sideways, fast asleep. He smiled as he turned slightly, settling her head against his shoulder more comfortably.

"There's a small rug in the drawer under the seat, Sir." The soft voice of his driver told him and he looked up to meet his eyes in the mirror.

"Thank you Sergeant." He kept one arm around her as he fished under the seat, removing the rug and spreading it over the sleeping Edward. She nestled in, one hand pulling it closer around her without waking.

* * *

It was a bare fifteen minute drive back to the dorms and Roy dropped the 'how to get a kiss goodnight' plans to 'how to get her to her dorm if she didn't wake up' plans. The main stumbling block being that he didn't know which dorm she was in.

As they pulled up to the kerb, he called her name. All she did was pull the rug up to her ears and grumble. He tried shaking her and her head went under the blanket. He shared an amused look with the driver before he tried again.

"Major Elric!" His voice echoed in the confined space and she shot up, hitting her head on the car ceiling before falling back onto the seat and glaring at him.

"What the fuck was that for, you bastard Colonel? I was sleeping, you fucking idiot!" She placed her hands on her head. "Damn shit, that hurts."

"You are a heavy sleeper Edward." He remarked, smirk firmly in place.

"Shut up, bastard." She almost snarled at him and blinked madly, trying to wake up properly.

"I could have left you here, or carried you to your dorm." Or taken you home with me slipped through his mind and he clamped his mouth tight to stop himself from saying that out loud.

"There are other ways." She complained as she rubbed her head.

"Well, shaking and calling didn't seem to work."

She stifled a yawn as she looked out the car window. "Where are we?"

"At the dorms."

She blinked and found the door opening by the driver. She got out of the car, thanking him with a nod and turned back to look at Roy.

"Thanks for a delightful evening bastard." She said sarcastically although the edge was missing as sleep coloured her voice.

"Likewise, Edward." He watched her walk to the door and frowned. Something wasn't right. He blinked and looked at her feet and then at the car floor. She had left her shoes behind. He lifted them up as she disappeared into the building and he slid along the seat to follow.

* * *

The lobby was dimly lit, unattended at this time of the night, and the elevator was open and no Edward was there. He looked around and saw the way to the stairs and hurried that way.

"Edward," he said quietly as he saw her just starting to go up the stairs. She turned, startled to see him there. He held up her shoes and she looked at her stockinged toes and then back at the shoes.

"Damn, I didn't realise I forgot them."

"You're tired, Edward." He walked closer. "Why are you taking the stairs?"

"I always take the stairs." She turned to hide her yawn and he smiled.

"Come on sleepyhead, let me walk you to your door before you fall over and sleep here the rest of the night." He moved to her side, ignoring her startled look and linked her hand through his arm and began walking up the stairs with her.

She wasn't going to admit that it was easier having him there. The sleepless nights had caught up with her and combined with the relief of having survived the evening had pushed her right into exhaustion. Several times she nearly tripped and was only saved by his quick grab.

He held her arm tighter as she stumbled and wondered if it would be easier if he did carry her. She was obviously exhausted and he wondered why that was. Her new position was not strenuous and she didn't work long hours. The only reason he could think of for her being so tired would be that she wasn't sleeping. Which led him to wonder what she was doing instead of sleeping. Was something bothering her enough to keep her awake or was she researching and reading the nights away?

"Which floor are you on?" He asked quietly as they went past the second floor landing.

"The next one. The third."

"What room number?"

"Thirty-five. Why?"

"So I know which room is yours when you fail to make it to the next landing."

"Bastard," and he smiled as she yawned straight after speaking.

"I know, you've told me that often enough."

"…glad I'm not doing this in those shoes," he heard her mutter and he chuckled. "It's not funny, bastard."

"You should have used the elevator."

"No, I prefer stairs," and even though her voice was tired there was an abruptness to it that surprised him. He looked at her but she was looking upwards to the third floor landing. "Besides it's good exercise, you slack bastard." She added it more as an afterthought and it lacked any real bite and she spoiled it by yawning again.

He shook his head. Edward was the most stubborn person he had ever known. She was leaning against him as they stepped up to the landing and through the door into the hall. He was relieved to see her door was fairly close and watched amused as she fumbled at the side of her dress for a moment, hearing the chinking of keys but her fingers too sleep-muddled to get them clear of the material. He was not surprised when she shrugged and just clapped to unlock her door.

She turned to him and instead of letting her go he pulled her gently to him, leaning down to brush her lips with his. It was the way her breath caught that made him linger rather than move away as he had planned, wanting her to be very aware the next time he kissed her, not half asleep.

"Edward?" He questioned lightly as he trailed light kisses around her lips.

"Roy." His name was a mere whisper on her breath but her eyes were open and she was looking at him. The warmth from him was settling into her chest and the feather-light touches were making her warmer. She knew he was going to kiss her. This time she knew what was happening. She didn't know if she was quite ready for it, but she didn't really care. Whether the voices were too tired to protest or whether because she wanted it, she tilted her head slightly to meet his lips.

His lips settled on hers and her eyes drifted shut as he pulled her closer. So different to last time she hazily thought. There was no long moment of surprise this time and she kissed him back. She followed the way his mouth moved, breathing deeply of him. The coffee and alchemy flavours had faded and now it was simply Roy she could smell and taste.

She wondered what to do with her hands but they seemed content to rest at the sides of his waist. His arms slid around her. One around her shoulders, the other around her waist and her shoes slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor unheeded by both of them.

The sudden wetness of his tongue tracing her lips made her gasp slightly as the heat within her surged. It felt like a full body flush and her hands tightened at his waist. His tongue slipped along the insides of her lips, going no further and she could feel her mind falling somewhere into incoherency.

Roy tasted her slowly, not pushing beyond her teeth as he felt her breathing become erratic. The small moan she let free tingled through him and he kissed her deeper. The moment the tip of her tongue met his, they both shivered, his groan echoed by her whimper. Through the haze he struggled to control himself. He pulled back slightly, gently mouthing around her bottom lip, unwilling to completely stop. He reluctantly broke away and lifted his head slightly to kiss her forehead. He held her tight as he tried to get his thoughts going in a straight line again

Edward rested her head against his chest feeling his chin settle against the top of her head. She was shaking and it was hard to breathe evenly. She had expected it to be like that first kiss and it hadn't been anything like it. She didn't remember feeling this warm, this shaky last time. She shivered as she remembered the feel of his tongue in her mouth. The mere thought should have freaked her out but she hadn't had time to think, hell she hadn't been capable of thinking at the time. And it had affected him too. She had heard him groan. It wasn't just her. His breathing was as rough as hers she realised. Her blood was still pulsing in her ears and she was very reluctant to move.

Roy stood there wondering why it felt perfectly natural to be in the hallway of the female dorms at midnight with Edward in his arms and to be shaking like a damned leaf. His heart was pounding and it was taking time to get his breathing back to normal. Nothing should be comfortable about this situation, especially the blonde in his arms. He could feel her trembling and he slid his chin over her head lightly before pulling back slightly to look down at her.

She felt him move and looked up to meet his eye.

The hallway was dim but they could see each other. No traces of regret, no signs of confusion yet. The almost darkness granted a sense of security to them both.

"I'm not walking this on my own?" Edward whispered, unable to resist the need for confirmation.

"No." His reply was as simple as her question. He lifted his hand and brushed her hair from her face. "We're in this together."

Her breath wafted out in a sigh. "Why you?"

"Why not me?" He smiled as she almost frowned at him.

"Bastard."

"I could ask the same, why you." That startled her and her eyes went wide. He leant forward and kissed her nose and smiled as she scrunched it up. He let her go and stepped back, knowing if he didn't leave now he was going to start kissing her again. "Good night Edward."

She nearly tensed her fingers in his jacket to stop him from stepping back but she let her hands drop. "Good night Roy."

He turned to walk away and she watched as he reached the stairwell. He turned and saw her there.

"And no," he said, his low voice carrying in the silence. "I do not think the Councillor looks good."

She could hear the smirk in his voice as he disappeared.

* * *

Edward woke up the next morning and wondered why she was still in the black dress. It took her five very fuzzy moments to remember that she had walked into her room, dropped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was rather blank after that and it was obvious that she had fallen asleep instead of getting up to change and then go to bed properly.

She stretched and felt well rested. A look at her watch told her it was nearly nine. No wonder she felt good, she thought. She'd had more sleep last night than she had managed nearly all week.

She stood up and yawned, a hand going back to pull her hair from its tie. She shook her hair loose and rolled her head from side to side as she padded to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped to stare at herself for a moment.

"Why him?" she asked and then frowned. "Why me?" She liked him because she liked him. There didn't seem to be base cause to it all. He was the one she liked. Therefore she liked him. Was it the same for him? He liked her because he liked her? Did it matter why he liked her? She tilted her head and grimaced. Of course it mattered.

There had to be a reason somewhere. And what would she do if she did find a reason? She groaned. She was twisting it all around again. "Why can't I keep things simple?" she grumbled. Because that's who I am, she thought. Always looking for the reasons, never accepting that things could just _be_.

Gracia's question from yesterday echoed. If I was as I used to be would I still like him, she repeated silently. She took a deep breath as she realised she probably would have still liked him. But would it have gone anywhere? Would Roy have been interested in _him_ as he was in _her_? Her left hand came up and ran across her lips and they tingled as she remembered. Would he have kissed _him_ like that?

"I am Edward Elric," she said to her reflection and stopped. She sighed. "I'm being an idiot. I kissed the bastard again and I liked it. It was the best part of the evening and I don't regret it. It doesn't matter whether he would've kissed me as I was or not, he kissed me as I _am_." She stopped again as her eyes widened.

"What am I? No. _Who_ am I?" She whispered. "I am Edward." She answered herself and then she took a deep breath as she continued. "It doesn't matter if the outside is different to the inside. I am Edward!" She stared at her reflection and she slowly smiled. So what if the reflected face was that of a young woman, the eyes were the same ones _he_ had always had.

The smile gradually faded. What has changed she wondered. Where had this sudden clarity come from? How could one night make such a difference in her thinking? Because last night he was the only one who saw _me_. The only one who had not seen her as a symbol or a curiousity. She wasn't stupid, she was aware that the Fuhrer had a plan somewhere and judging from what the Councillor had said, he knew it too. Last night had shown her all too clearly that what she looked like _did_ determine how people would react to her.

She looked down at the basin and her eyes lit upon the corsage still attached to her dress. Carefully she unpinned it after twisting it around to see how he had attached it.It was remarkably resilient she thought as she straightened one petal that had bent over. It looked exactly as it had last night. White with that golden splash on it.

"_We're in this together." _Roy had told her last night. Her hand shook and she put the flower down carefully before turning away to turn the shower on. She undressed and stepped under the water.

Roy Mustang. Of all people to be involved with, it had to be him. Do I want to know where this is going, she wondered then she laughed. It was a bit late to wonder that she thought, when I've already taken the first steps.

* * *

Roy rolled over and stretched as he slowly woke up. He smiled sleepily as he remembered last night and his smile widened as he recalled he had most of the day with her as well. After last night, today could only keep getting better. He hoped. Anything involving Edward was subject to change without warning.

Last night had been just one such occasion. What had seemed to start off as a normal night had quickly sent him adrift in places with feelings he had never thought himself capable of. Blind jealousy for one. Dumbstruck when Edward had accepted his plans for today had been another. Several times Edward had pushed him off balance. Actually, he thought, she was responsible for every time he had been unbalanced.

And he knew she had no idea of what she did to him. Even when he could see she was puzzled by him, she didn't realise it was because of her that he was reacting, changing. Becoming something, _someone_ he wasn't quite sure of yet.

"_I'm not walking this on my own?" _her words echoed and he smiled slightly. He wasn't the only one changing. She was becoming a definition for change. Every time he turned around, she appeared different again. And seeking the reassurance that she was not alone in this was definitely a change. Edward Elric had to be one of the most confident people he knew. To have her ask such a question also told him that she was aware that this was going somewhere.

Where exactly he didn't know, and he didn't really want to look that far ahead. For the first time in a long time he was prepared to let the future take care of itself. No plans, no goals other than to have Edward beside him wherever it went. The words sounded good he thought but he knew it was never that easy.

He sat up in the bed. Taking things one day at a time wasn't something he felt he was equipped to handle but lately he had been doing just that. And look how much fun that's been, he told himself. He rolled his eye. It was a strange definition of fun but it was the word that fitted best. Fun as a synonym for being alive, for feeling and for never knowing what was going to happen next.

He got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He had always had his life planned out before. A schedule and deadlines for the office, and before he had closed off, he had always been punctual for any occasion out.

He stood under the shower and knew that Edward had her own personal time zone. She was either early or late. Punctuality was something forced on her by others. Namely Al as they had grown up. And now she had a staff to enforce it. Hawkeye had only had to enforce Roy's compliance to deadlines, he had always been happy to keep appointments, because they got him out of the paperwork.

He stopped as his hand reached for the tap. He hadn't told Edward what time he was picking her up. Had he? He thought hard. He hadn't. He turned the tap off. He'd ring the dorms and get a message sent to her. That should solve that problem. Except then everyone would know. As if people hadn't already seen him waiting outside the dorms last night for someone. As if the news they had been present at a function last night together was not going to be public knowledge anyway.

"As if I care," he muttered as he walked back into his bedroom. And he realised he didn't care. He wasn't about to start indulging in public displays of affection but having people link their names together was not something he found himself adverse to. He knew people already linked them in regards to their spats and arguments, he wondered how long it would take for that impression to change.

He liked Edward and it was nobody's business but his and hers. Where it went depended only on them, and no-one else. How they decided to do things was also up to them. They were going to have to talk about this. Last night's small exchange was just a start. Edward wasn't the only one with questions he thought.

* * *

The knock at her door was a surprise and Ed opened it to see a slightly uncomfortable looking Sergeant standing there. She was older than Edward and her eyes were flicking into the dorm behind the blonde.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Elric?" The Sergeant fidgeted and Edward's eyebrow rose.

"That's me. What is it Sergeant?"

"A message for you." The Sergeant held out a slip of paper and Edward took it.

"Thanks." Edward turned to go back into her room but the Sergeant gave a small cough. Edward turned back. "Was there something else, Sergeant?"

"Umm, your shoes, Ma'am." She pointed down and Edward saw her shoes lying on the floor just outside her door. "Regulations state that…personnel aren't supposed to have guests, Ma'am." The Sergeant said hesitantly as the Lieutenant-Colonel began to frown.

"Firstly, Sergeant, do not call me Ma'am. 'Sir' will do fine. Secondly, I don't have a guest and I fail to see why you would say that anyway." Edward spoke firmly. "And thirdly, thank you for telling me about my shoes."

"Uh, Sir, it's just that leaving something like a shoe outside your door usually means you do have a visitor, and you… don't want… to be disturbed." The Sergeant began blushing as the golden eyes went wide.

"So it's like the tie on the handle in the men's dorms?" Edward queried and the Sergeant went even redder.

"Yes, Sir."

"How intriguing." Edward remarked. Men and women were similar in many ways, she thought. "Well, I hate to disappoint you Sergeant, but I dropped them when I got back last night. But I'll remember that if I ever do have a guest." She couldn't resist adding with a grin just to make the poor woman blush harder.

Ed bent to pick them up and gave the Sergeant and nod. "Thanks again." The Sergeant saluted and left and Ed closed her door and leant back against it, fighting the urge not to laugh. As if she was ever going to have a guest. Only Al had been in here and he didn't count.

She looked at the shoes in her hand. Seeing a tie on a dorm door had taken her and Al a few months to understand and they hadn't really understood exactly what happened behind those closed doors. Four years of military dorms and mess halls had given them all sorts of miscellaneous information and Ed had ignored most of it. Now she began to remember bits of it and it wasn't anything to make her feel confident. She decided right there that never, never was she going to have a shoe outside her door.

"Fuck." The word escaped as her mind took one more step and she went cold. The shoes fell to the floor. Roy. Her eyes flickered as her face began to turn red. He had been outside the door, kissing her last night. Two steps and they would have been in her room. That didn't mean that any of those vaguely recalled stories would come true. Male soldiers were notorious exaggerators, which was partly why she had paid little attention to them.

But she had seen him leave the office to go on many dates. She'd never known what happened after that. Had he done the same as he had last night? Walked them home, kissed them and then gone home? Or had he stayed?

Ed groaned and sank to the floor and stared at her shoes. These thoughts were bringing back that strange pang and making her feel uneasy as well. Shit, just where was this thing heading?

"I _really_ need to stop thinking so much."

* * *

Roy stood outside the dorms at eleven o'clock and wondered where Edward was. He had rung and sent a message. He had even detoured on his way here to go past a café he had remembered from years back to make sure it still existed. He had also made dinner reservations and whether Edward had questions or not, they were going to go to dinner. He was going to insist on it.

Five past eleven and she still hadn't appeared. He shouldn't have to wait for her, he suddenly thought. It wasn't like him to wait at all really. He smiled and straightened up and began to walk towards the dorms. His smile became a smirk as he pushed open the door and met the enquiring glance of a Sergeant at the lobby desk.

"Is Lieutenant-Colonel Elric here?" He asked and saw the Sergeant's eyes go wide. The dark haired one eyed man reminded her of the description of the Ice General but she had never seen him casually dressed like this man was. Neither had she heard of the General's face even coming close to showing any emotion except anger. It couldn't be him asking for the Lieutenant-Colonel. They were always arguing with each other. It just couldn't be him.

"Uh, yes Sir. She hasn't left the building as far as I know."

"Thank you, Sergeant." He nodded and headed for the lift.

"Uh, Sir? It's …"

He smiled. "It's ok, Sergeant. I know which room it is." He said blandly, knowing full well what she was going to say and deliberately ignoring it. He stepped into the lift and closed the door before she could say anything more.

His smile grew. He hadn't been able to surprise anyone like that for a long time. It was a reminder of just how predictable he had become. And while it wasn't against regulations for him to be in the building, it was pushing the limit of the rule by just waltzing in.

He stepped out of the lift and walked to Edward's door before knocking loudly. The door opened just as the Sergeant appeared, panting from having hurried up the stairs at the stairwell door.

"What are you doing here, bastard?" Edward asked, a distracted look in her eyes.

"You're late."

She blinked. "I am?" He watched as she frowned, the golden eyes losing their unfocused look and stared at him. "Oh shit. I forgot! Is it eleven already?"

"Yes it is." He leant on the doorframe as she whirled back into her room with a sudden blush. He could hear her muttering "…watch, dammit… keys." He smiled slightly, well aware of the Sergeant still watching, as he followed Edward's mad dash from one room to the next. Papers were strewn over the desk and couch so he assumed she had found something to research. That had been what had distracted her, he had no doubt about that. But the blush made him curious as did the way she was avoiding meeting his eye as she fixed her watch to her pants.

He blinked as he realised what she was wearing. Not the expected jeans and shirt but the black slacks and deep blue shirt she had worn to the interview. Her hair was pulled into its long braid. He mentally debated whether to mention her sudden wardrobe change but chose not to. Much as he would like to think she had dressed up, well, dressed up compared to her usual level of casualness, for him, he had a feeling that her reasons were far different.

"I'm ready." She said as she approached the door. "Don't just stand there bastard."

He grinned. Edward had always been able to find a way to make it appear to be his fault, no matter what the situation.

"About time." He spoke easily as he stepped away and Ed pulled the door shut with a loud bang, following him into the hall. Her eyes caught those of the Sergeant and the blush flared in her face briefly.

She didn't need to have the earlier thoughts spring back into her mind. She had managed to drown them beneath alchemy and Hohenheim's papers from the Library. But seeing Roy appear at her door and now to see the curious eyes watching had them trying to resurface. And the overly human Roy… with a grin on his face for fuck's sake. Just what was with that? Well, she wasn't going to let it get to her.

"Come on bastard. Race you down the stairs." She said with a grin and began to walk towards them. She saw the Sergeant move away and gave her a quick nod as she went past and into the stairwell.

"A race, Edward?"

"Yes. Last one down has to do the other's paperwork for a day."

"Edward." Roy's voice was low, tempted by the thought of having her do his paperwork but unwilling to forgo his dignity and her eyes gleamed, daring him as she smirked at him.

"Feeling a bit scared, Lieutenant-General?" She taunted. His eye narrowed. He knew her well. She wouldn't have suggested this unless she knew she had a very good chance of winning. And Roy hated losing. He looked down the stairs and several possibilities sprang to mind.

"Very well, Edward. Last one down has to do the other's paperwork." Her eyes narrowed and he smirked. She hadn't expected him to agree and now she was wary. She knew him as well. He would have a plan but she hadn't figured it out yet.

"Okay."

They both stood at the top step and looked at each other. Roy smirked and Ed grinned.

"Go!"

Edward went down two steps at a time, gripping the rail as she neared the halfway turn preparing to swing over it. The sudden fireball above her head had her cursing and ducking, unable to take the short cut and forced to take the turn normally. Roy sprinted down to be a few steps behind her.

"That's cheating, bastard!"

"I am merely creating an advantage for me."

He repeated it at the second floor landing and again got within a few feet of her. Edward could hear him getting closer and knew he would do it again at the next turn. As long as he could keep her from taking the quicker turn he was always going to stay close. Roy was a sneaky bastard, she thought. She thought about using alchemy as well but realised that most of what she could do would be too unfair. She had to find a way to just tip it her way.

Her eyes gleamed and as she skidded around the next turn ducking under his fireball, she clapped and hit the floor with her hand. The stairs became a slide down to the first floor landing which now curved into a slope leading into the last flight. A slide all the way to the ground floor, and she had smooth soled shoes on.

"Now who's cheating, shrimp?"

"Just evening the score, bastard."

She slid, fingers skimming the rail, getting ready to grip tight to use the momentum of her speed and the next turn to increase the gap between them. She ducked at the sound of his snap behind her but no fireball flared and she hesitated slightly, hearing his chuckle as she mistimed her turn and the gap narrowed again.

One full flight to go and her advantage hadn't really been what she had hoped. How did he manage to stay so close? He wasn't supposed to be able to do this. Maybe she should alchemise the railing to trap him, or put obstacles in his path to trip him up after all. But he had merely used his alchemy to slow her down and she had used hers to try and negate that. She really couldn't justify anything else. Not without this losing its friendly edge and heading straight into competition. And she didn't want to go there.

As she approached the last turn she wasn't sure if he was going to snap or not. Damned bastard had set her up for this precise moment, she just knew it. Indecision was not something Edward was good at handling. But she didn't have time to worry about her choice and she ducked slightly just in case as she took the last corner. He snapped but instead of flaring above her, the fireball shot past her.

She instinctively leant to avoid it and lost the rhythm of her footwork as her feet skidded more than she had allowed for. Her speed slowed considerably and she was startled to find him right at her side, his longer legs sliding efficiently.

He was a single step ahead of her as they reached the end of the stairs-become-slide.

* * *

"It was your idea."

Edward glowered as she stuck her fork into the noodles and began winding it around.

"That's beside the point." She snapped. "You weren't supposed to win."

He smiled and she knew she was being slightly childish considering he wasn't gloating over her as she had half expected he would.

The drive to this small café had been a silent one. Ed had been put out by his win and he had been content to let her stay silent as he concentrated on driving.

He had surprised himself by enjoying that little game. It had been a long time since he had done something, anything like that. Not since Maes had dared him to steal the flag from the main post outside Headquarters. He still wasn't sure how he had managed it. They had both gotten themselves horrendously drunk after Maes had dared him, and they had woken up the next morning in their dorm with several flags draped over them. He had claimed victory because even Maes couldn't remember how they had gotten any of them.

He watched her eating and felt remarkably relaxed. The questions he wanted to ask hovered but the urgency was gone from them. He was content to sit here and realise that one thing they had was time. His ambitions had been made defunct and she was no longer rushing around everywhere. They could take as long as they needed. There was no hurry, no need to force anything. Not that forcing Edward was something he was prepared to do.

"Where did you learn to slide like that?" She asked suddenly.

"After basic training, I did six months up North," he replied. "It was winter and skiing was the only way you could get around. You never really lose your balance once you get it."

"I didn't know that," and then she blushed, rolling her eyes at her own obviousness and he smirked at her. "Don't say it," she warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Edward." And they both knew he lied and Edward shook her head as they grinned. "I'll make sure there's not too much paperwork for you," he added.

"How considerate of you."

"I'll even ask Hawkeye to put the gun away for the day."

"Like that would ever happen." Edward shivered. "Hawkeye would be more than willing to sit there with a gun to my head at the moment I think."

"Ahh yes, you did say you hung up on her yesterday." He smiled slightly. "What did she do to warrant such treatment?"

"It was nothing important." Edward put her elbow on the table and rested the side of her face against her palm. "But it was just more than I needed at the time."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about." Roy remarked. "Riza's not going to hold a grudge."

"I know that," Edward said. "But she was just so definite about coming to help, that I know she's going to at least want to talk about it."

"Help you with what?" Roy asked, puzzled and unable to think of anything Edward needed help with. Particularly Riza's help.

"They thought I needed help to get ready for last night." Edward grumbled slightly. Roy's eyebrow rose.

"They?"

"Winry and Riza." She sighed. "Al stopped Winry somehow but she set Riza on to me. It was just too hard to keep repeating myself, so I hung up. I didn't need help for that. It turned out okay, Gracia said so."

"It turned out more than okay, Edward. You looked very lovely." He spoke sincerely and she met his gaze. She had seen that look in his eye last night. She had seen it when she had left the dorms to see him by the car, when she had managed to stop staring at him for long enough to realise he was staring at her. It was clearer in the light of day. It was Roy looking at Edward and …liking what he saw.

"It really doesn't bother you, does it?" She asked without thinking.

"What doesn't?" He asked in return, not sure where her thoughts had gone.

"That I'm different like I am." She explained as she waved her hand around, a small frown appearing between her eyes.

"No, it doesn't bother me." He said as he understood what she meant. And it didn't. He had always seen her as Edward.

"How do you manage that?" She asked and he smiled slightly.

"I said before that only you can define who you are. We all see you as Edward. Does the gender matter?"

"Winry and Riza wouldn't have offered to help before."

"You weren't female before." Roy pointed out, keeping his voice matter of fact and logical. Edward was working her way through something. He knew what Elrics looked like when they started thinking. The seemingly random starting point that would lead them to question and find answers for others and themselves. He had seen Al do it on numerous occasions.

"I wasn't becoming involved with you before either." She muttered going pink and his eyebrow rose. "You think they would have offered if I had still been male?" She shook her head. "The only one who might have been concerned would have been Al. The rest of you would have assumed that I knew what to do."

Roy didn't know what to say to that. Edward had a valid point. Men didn't bother to offer help to each other unless it was to borrow cufflinks or to scrounge a tie. To deliberately ask another man if he knew how to dress for any occasion was almost like saying they were incapable of getting dressed full stop.

"And if we had offered, you would have refused it anyway."

"I know. I don't need help to get dressed. It's not like you can go wrong with a suit anyway. But because I'm female now, how I look suddenly concerns them. Whatever reasons they had, Winry and Riza, even Gracia, asked if I needed the help."

"I would assume it's because women seem to need an extra hour to get ready in." Roy remarked.

"No they don't." Edward stared at him and tilted her head. "Why would they need extra time?" She asked him.

"They use it to decide what to wear, to put make up on, and to decide what accessories they need."

"That seems a bit excessive," Edward remarked. "How do you know that?"

"Because I dated a lot of women over the years." Roy spoke without thinking and his eye widened as he suddenly realised what he had said.

Edward felt it again. That little pang that suddenly didn't seem so little all of a sudden. She sat very still and let it wash through her. It was like a cold wave at first but it got warmer as it grew and she suddenly had to take a deep breath.

She watched it and part of her mind was clinically analysing it as it swept through her. It almost drowned out the voice of reason that was pointing out that she had known Roy had dated lots of women in the past and as it told her that Roy liked her. He was not trying to hide anything. She was the one talking to him, telling him things. She could hardly complain about him being honest when she had asked him the question.

"That was over four years ago, Edward. I doubt women's habits have changed that much since then."

See, the little voice told her, absolutely no reason to feel hurt and annoyed. She let her breath out slowly and pulled her mind back into the line she had been following.

"And people are going assume I have similar habits." She sighed, feeling herself calming down as reason reasserted itself. "Why do people have to judge someone on how they look anyways?"

"Because it's easy. Getting to know someone requires commitment and a willingness to listen. People don't always want to do that. People can be very selfish. They care more about themselves."

"_People are selfish, Edward. They will stare at you because you're different, because you have a strange story, but very few will really care about __you_The Councillor's words suddenly echoed in her head.

"But friends won't judge. The people who care won't judge." She said as she considered the thought.

"No, they won't. That's why they're your friends. They've taken the time, made the effort to get to know you. And you've done the same to them. You can know a lot of people, but only your friends will _know _you."

Edward looked at the empty plate in front of her. "It's as if I have to learn this all over again. To make it real, to make it part of me again. Integrating things from what I was to fit in with what I am now." She put her other elbow on the table and leant forward to rest her chin on her hands. "The problem is that there are all these new aspects and things I never had to consider before. And finding places for them all is hard."

"People are always changing." Roy looked at his hands for a moment, before looking at her. "You've changed and not just physically. The same applies to me as well. After four years of living in a hole I know it's the changing that keeps us alive, that keeps us human."

She stared at him. Here was the biggest change. Sitting here and talking to him, conversing _with _him. Sharing with him and not feeling self-conscious or even slightly uncomfortable. They had come a long way since that night in the Library. And their dash down the stairs had revealed a whole new side to him. There was a sense of fun in him that he had kept hidden and that she had rarely seen. The little hints of it she had seen had never allowed her to realise that it was a larger part of him that he let on. How much more of himself had he not shown yet?

"This liking each other makes it different too. As I change, as you change, it changes as well. I don't understand it, it confuses me, it's not logical and it frustrates the hell out of me. I have to trust you with this because I don't know what else to do at this point."

Roy sat there, the golden eyes serious and surprisingly vulnerable. Edward's honesty. He had seen it before but never had he seen it applied to this extent. Not towards herself, to them.

"Neither do I. All I know is that I like you, that I'm as unsure about this as you and that I don't have the option of going back anymore. Always go forward. You always said that. I don't know if it will be logical or sensible, I just know that if we don't do anything about this then we'll both lose."

There was a long moment of silence and Roy could see Edward thinking. Edward's honesty frightened him. It didn't allow any escape. It demanded the same level of honesty in return. There was no way to go back now. For either of them.

She was a collection of opposites. She melted in his arms one moment, she dared him the next and she could open up like this without warning. He was never going to figure her out.

"Regrets can get very heavy." Edward said suddenly.

"I know."

"And I don't always have the words for what I want to say."

"I don't expect you to. I won't always know what to say or do either." He frowned slightly and then reached across the table to brush her hair from her forehead. "Edward, this is not supposed to be perfect. It's as imperfect as we are."

Edward stilled for a moment and then smiled. "I never thought I'd ever hear you admitting to not being perfect." Her voice was light but he could see understanding in her eyes.

"And I never thought to see you eat lunch and not have dessert." Roy replied equally lightly.

"Bastard." She leant back in her chair, letting his comment go past her. She felt slightly easier for having spoken although she hadn't intended for it to happen. But once she started a thought, she had to take it as far as she could go and this time there had been nothing to interrupt or to distract her. If anything, his answers had pushed her further along even when it felt as if her mind had jumped tracks and led her off on a tangent. She hadn't even started on the questions from last night.

And now it was harder to bring up the Councillor and the liaison position. She looked at him. Was he still planning on taking her to dinner tonight? Would she be able to talk about it then, or would she get sidetracked again? Lunch had been nothing like she had expected. Would dinner go the same way?

"We'll have to go soon, Edward." Roy remarked as he looked at his watch.

"You wear your watch more often now." Edward commented. "You never used to."

"I always had it with me. It was usually in my pocket."

"Why was that?" Edward asked and saw his face pale slightly. She straightened up slightly. She knew what bad memories looked like. She bit her lip, curiousity warring with a sudden urge to apologise.

He shook his head at her, seeing the conflict on her face. He didn't want her to feel that she couldn't ask him anything. They had often spoken to each other without thinking. He wanted to keep that. He never wanted her to have to consider what she said to him. He looked at his gloves lying on the table beside him. He ran a finger over the array.

"Once I made Lieutenant-Colonel I stopped wearing my watch as much. Alchemists rarely get promoted and I always had my gloves. I didn't need to have an extra sign of my status hanging at my hip." He paused and lifted his eye to meet hers. "And after Ishbal, being an alchemist was not something I felt particularly proud of being."

"People used to point at mine. That old phrase 'dog of the military.' I wore mine because that was all I felt I could claim to be sometimes, until I fulfilled my promises." The golden eyes met his. "But I also wore it because it meant that I had achieved something. That I had accomplished something that might not have meant much to anyone else but it was a sign that I could do it. That I wasn't completely worthless."

"You were never worthless, Edward."

"Neither were you." She tilted her head at him. "You were the bane of my life, you were a living nightmare to have to deal with some days, I absolutely detested you, but you were never worthless."

Roy stared at her. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. She meant every word. She understood both what he had said and what he had left unsaid. She didn't pity him, she didn't judge him. She accepted his past because hers was no better. Imperfect.

"Besides…" She leant back and began to stand up. "...you're only truly worthless when you're wet." She smirked at him as he grabbed his gloves and stood up as well, an offended look on his face.

"I can always let you walk from here to Gracia's." He threatened.

"At the speed you drive, I'd probably get there before you anyway." She retorted, grinning as they began to leave the café. They both knew why he was careful and they both knew he really wasn't that slow, but Edward had never let facts get in the way when insulting him.

"Was that a bet I heard? Are you so anxious to burden yourself with more of my paperwork?" he smirked as he unlocked the car door and held it open for her.

"I knew there was another reason I learnt how to forge your signature," she smirked back as she slipped into the car and pulled the door closed from his suddenly unresisting hand.

"You forged my signature?" He asked as he got into the car.

"Sure." She grinned at him. "But only on unimportant things."

"How unimportant, Edward?"

"Oh, you know, for late passes occasionally." He sighed.

"And at the Library for some of the restricted stuff." He groaned.

"And for my expenses."

* * *

Al and Jean exchanged another amused glance as first Winry and then Riza looked out the window as a car went past. Gracia and Elysia were due home in half an hour and Edward and Roy hadn't arrived yet either. An hour ago Riza had rung the dorms to send a reminder to Ed and had been told that the Lieutenant-Colonel had already left the building. She had then rung Roy's apartment and there had been no answer.

It had taken a mere look between Winry and herself to _know _that Edward and Roy were together somewhere without any actual facts to confirm that thought. Jean had pointed out that Roy rarely drove because of his eye, but Riza countered by saying that Roy had driven with Ed before. So what if it had only been from Gracia's to the dorms, but it proved the possibility of it occurring again. Al remarked that in that case they should be here already, Ed being unlikely to want to waste time driving around. Winry told him they could have gone to lunch first.

Al and Jean had laughed.

"What's so unlikely about that?" She had demanded.

"You know what Sis is like, Win." Al had smiled. "They might like each other, but Ed has absolutely no idea about this sort of thing. If they go to lunch, she'll just insult him all the time."

"You didn't have any idea either at first." Winry had pointed out and the look in her eye had told him that coming back with 'Neither did you' was probably not the way to go. Al and Jean had both decided that silence was the better part of valour at that point.

Another car and the heads moved again.

Pleased smiles lit their faces and Al and Jean sighed and walked across to join them at the window.

"They're here." Riza said smugly.

"They're arguing." Jean pointed out.

"What's going on?" Fuery asked as he came into the room with Breda behind him. "Are they here yet?"

"No, Kain. It's just the Boss and the Chief arguing."

The six of them stood in the window and watched.

* * *

"Come on, Roy. It was years ago!" Edward protested as they walked slowly up to the front door.

"It was still reckless, Edward! Do you know how much trouble it would have caused for you and for me?"

"I didn't do it for everything, idiot!" She put her hand on his arm to stop him for the moment. She stared at him. "I was careful and only used it when I had to. I know it was wrong, but would you have done differently if you'd been in my place?"

He stared back at her, his lips in a thin line. It wasn't so much the illegality that had him upset, it was more the thought that she had used him. They had used each other back then and they had both known it. You could accept being used if you knew about it, if you agreed to it. He hadn't known about this. He hadn't agreed to it.

"Every time I used it, I had to trust that if you, or anyone, ever did find out you would back it up and not betray me." She spoke seriously, the light-heartedness gone as his reaction was not what she had expected. It didn't seem that big a deal anymore. It had been six, seven years since she had last used it. And as she had told him, she had always been very careful. There had always been a frisson of fear every time she had used it on her expenses. Being able to use that little bit extra to get her hands on the books or rare papers that just couldn't be got through legitimate channels.

"I wouldn't have betrayed you but I would've burnt you to a cinder." He spoke firmly, but his face eased slightly. She nodded as she saw it.

"Now you know why I never told you about it." She grinned. "Oh and you have no idea how useful it was when Havoc used it to send love notes around Headquarters that time."

"What?" Roy stopped as he was about to start walking again. "You and Havoc were behind that?" His life had been made completely chaotic as notes had been received by every female in Eastern Headquarters, all purporting to come from him and professing undying love to the recipient. It had taken over a month before he could resume his usual dating habits without having one of those notes being waved in his face.

"Well Havoc was, I just helped." She smirked as she saw the anger rise in him. The good anger that she had always enjoyed inciting in him.

"And why do you feel the need to share this with me now?" He asked, knowing full well what she was doing and reaching for his self-control.

"Because they've been standing at the window this last five minutes watching us argue and I don't see why I should be the only one you're mad at." Edward smirked at him and he stepped closer with a sudden grin.

"Careful Edward, or they'll see more than just us arguing."

* * *

Author's Note: I have never had a chapter so beset by interruptions as this one. But finally it's completed…smiles... I hope your holidays were good and your new year has been all you wanted…

Thank you as always to everyone for the comments and the reviews. It always amazes me to see how much you enjoy this monster. It honestly does keep me going. Faleminderit shumë.

silken :)


	30. Conversations

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 30: Conversations**

"They'll see my fist connect with your jaw if you try that here, bastard." Edward said firmly, lifting her lightly clenched right hand. It was strange to see him grin so easily and she had to stop herself from grinning with him.

Roy put his hand over her fist and smirked. "It would be worth it."

She didn't know she could blush this brightly and he kept his hand around hers and pulled her up to the front door while she was still trying to get a snappy retort through the daze her brain seemed to have suddenly wandered into. The problem was her mouth had nearly opened and the words 'Yes it would' had nearly escaped.

She hadn't had him tease her like this before and it _was_ teasing, she knew that. That smirk had always meant he was teasing. But this was teasing with innuendo and she had never been the recipient of that before. Her mind had gone straight to a reply but not one she was ready to say out loud. What could you say to that sort of question anyway, she wondered. Were you supposed to tease back or was there something else you were supposed to say? Where could she find out?

She looked at the back of his head as they went up the front steps. Ever since he had shown up at her dorm he had not been his usual contained self. He was being so human and relaxed, it was almost like being with a different person.

"Who are you, Roy Mustang?" she murmured as knocked on the door.

"What?" he turned, not having caught anything more than his name and was surprised to see a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Nothing," she replied the frown deepening at the warmth she could see in his face. The door opened and Ed tried to pull her hand free but Roy held on as Al appeared.

"You're cutting it fine, Sis. They'll be here any moment." He said, grinning as he looked from one to the other and then to their joined hands. Al saw Ed try to pull away and he gave a small snigger. Golden eyes glared at him.

"Don't say it, Al." Ed said as she finally got her hand free and walked into the house leaving her brother to look at Mustang with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile. Roy merely smiled back.

"He won't say anything but I will." Winry stood in the doorway to the lounge. "What kept you, Ed?"

"His slow driving." Ed replied with an easy smirk, glad Winry had misconstrued her comment to Al. "When will they be here?" She asked to avoid any further questions.

"Ten minutes probably. Falman is always punctual." Riza said with a glance at the clock. Falman and Schieska were escorting Gracia and Elysia home, Elysia having been told the others couldn't be there because of their duties.

"I did offer to let you walk, Edward." Roy's voice was suddenly behind her. "Is everything ready for them?"

"Yes it's all done." Riza nearly smiled as she saw Ed blush slightly at his proximity and the glare Roy received. It was Roy's smile in return that caught Riza's attention. She couldn't remember seeing him smile like that before. Not to her, not to anyone. He wasn't hiding the fact that he liked Edward, Riza realised. It was there on his face, in that smile. Riza felt a bit confounded by that. Roy had never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve, he always kept things close and private, so why was he smiling like that?

Ed seemed almost unnerved by it as well, Riza noticed. Edward had never been one for open displays of affection. And to suddenly be on the receiving end of a look like that had to be unsettling to her. Especially from Roy Mustang.

"How did your evening go?" She suddenly heard herself asking and they both blinked.

Ed's mind whirled as she tried to find a simple answer to that question. The evening had been a strange mix of emotions and impressions and she really hadn't sorted them all out. The only thing she had thought about had been Roy, the rest had sort of faded away slightly, waiting for a later occasion.

"It was long, the Councillor's an even bigger asshole than I thought, dancing hurts my feet and I never want to attend another one." Ed said abruptly.

"You were dancing, Ed?" Winry approached and Edward took a deep breath before facing her.

"Yes, it was part of my duties for the evening."

Winry opened her mouth to ask another question her eyes going from Ed to Roy and back again when Havoc interrupted her.

"They're here!"

Ed sighed in relief, she knew exactly what Winry had been about to ask and she was more than thankful for the interruption. Car doors slammed outside and she felt a hand at her wrist. She looked around. Roy was pulling her back towards him as they all took up positions just inside the doorframe. As the noises outside evolved into Elysia's excited high-pitched chatter she found him right at her back. A solid wall of Roy Mustang and she leant back against him before she realised what she was doing. She suddenly blinked and made to step away but his hand was at her waist and it tightened. She stopped, feeling her face flush again.

She had a surreptitious look around. No-one was watching, no-one could even see his hand. She wondered again what was going on with him. It was unnatural just how human he was being. There had to be something wrong with him somewhere. And his humanness was starting to affect her as well. It wasn't a case of tolerating these changes in him, it was accepting them, finding them all too natural and comfortable. It was responding to them without even thinking about it. There wasn't just something wrong with him, there was something wrong with her as well.

The door clicked and she held her breath. She grinned as she realised everyone else was doing the same. The door opened and Elysia's voice was all they needed before they began to move forward, smiling and reaching for her.

Al and Winry got there first and Elysia was suddenly hoisted up with a wild squeal into a group hug. Ed watched as she slid around the group towards Gracia, aware of Roy close behind her. Damn, was there a string between them, she thought, and then ignored him as she smiled and wrapped her arms around Gracia.

"Good to be home?" Ed asked, smiling as she remembered what it felt like to come home.

"Very good." Gracia replied with a deep breath of relief, her eyes going straight to where Havoc was now holding her daughter.

"It's where you both belong," Roy said as he hugged her, managing to hug Ed at the same time.

"You're being a bastard again, aren't you?" Ed hissed quietly as she felt his arm around her and tried to step away, but his arm tightened and he smirked at her.

"It's a special occasion, Edward. It's required behaviour." He winked at Gracia and ignored her sudden wide eyes and startled look as he brushed his lips against her cheek. "It's very good to see you both safely home, Gracia."

"Idiot bastard." Ed muttered and Gracia laughed at them, catching the slight embarrassment in Ed's eyes. She smiled at the blonde and Ed smiled back, they both knew exactly what it meant to him for Maes's wife and child to be here and no longer at the hospital.

"Thank you Roy."

"You can let go now, bastard."

* * *

Elysia was more than impressed with her room's new look, she was so impressed it took over half an hour before they could persuade her to come downstairs. She kept wanting to go back to her new room and Breda became her newest best friend when he indulged her whim to play tea parties. The look on Fuery's face as he was dragged in to it as well was something the others weren't going to forget for a very long time.

"What happened last night?" Winry suddenly asked and Edward blinked. She had been scanning a bookshelf as the others had been moving around and now Winry was standing in front of her and looking rather determined. Ed had a quick look around but couldn't see Al or Roy. Great, she was cornered and her obvious rescue options not around. At least it was only Winry and not Riza and Gracia as well. Even so, Winry on her own was still fairly formidable, and Ed forced herself to put on a bland, bored face.

"It was just a function, with lots of talking and mingling and stuff." Ed replied lightly and stepped back to try and get some distance from the inquisitive blue eyes.

"Details, Ed." Winry stepped closer. "You need to tell me the details."

"Why?" Ed stared at her. "Since when did you care about civic functions?"

"It's not the function, idiot!" Winry exclaimed. "It's what _you_ did that I want to know about."

"Why?" Ed asked again, not seeing any point to this at all.

"Because I'm your friend. Is that so hard to understand?"

"It seems rather pointless, Winry. The occasion's over and done with."

"Edward." Winry said heavily and Ed rolled her eyes. Bloody stubborn Winry, she thought.

"Fine. It was boring. We got there. We sat down and ate. Then there were speeches. Then I was dragged from table to table for more talking, then I had to dance and then it was time to go home. Does that cover it for you?"

"Not by half, Edward Elric." Winry snapped at her. "Who did you dance with?"

"The asshole Councillor, the Fuhrer, Roy and half a dozen people I hope never to see again." Ed glowered at her. "Look Winry, last night was part of my duties. Who cares what happened? It's all over with now."

"You are so thick, Edward! You went out with Roy Mustang, all dressed up and it means _nothing_?" Winry's voice began to rise. "It doesn't matter if it was a duty thing or not, you went out with the guy you like. It makes all the difference!"

"Different?" Ed looked at Winry as if she had grown an extra head and sighed. "We barely spoke to each other, we barely saw each other. It was an official function, Winry."

Winry stared at Edward. "You went there together, he must've taken you home afterwards. Didn't anything happen? Where's the romance, Ed?"

"Romance?" Edward blinked. There was no way she was going to tell Winry about that kiss outside her room, but Winry's question about romance confused her. "What romance?"

Winry shook her head, her blue eyes not leaving Ed's. Winry was positive something had happened between Ed and Roy. It just wasn't possible that nothing would have happened. Roy Mustang had been synonymous with romance, even Winry knew that. It was just impossible that they had gone out and there had been nothing romantic between them. But Edward looked completely lost at Winry's question.

"You don't mean nothing happened?"

"Like what, Winry? You're not making any sense."

"Like anything in the car on the way home, or while you were dancing, or flowers or things." Winry waved her hands about and Ed's eyebrows rose with every word.

"I fell asleep on the way home." Ed offered up and Winry made an exasperated noise.

"You are hopeless. Completely hopeless. Every girl wants romance, Ed."

"Good for them, but I'm not a girl."

"Even boys need it too." Winry frowned slightly. "And _men_ aren't afraid of it either." She spoke clearly as she walked past Ed and left the room.

"I'm not afraid." Ed muttered in an automatic response and then wondered exactly what it was that she wasn't afraid of. Romance? She stared at the wall. What did that even look like? Romance was flowers and chocolates and things like that. And she suddenly recalled Roy's face as he gave her the corsage. That was a flower and he had looked very human as he had offered it to her. Was that what romance was? A human Roy bearing gifts? She rolled her eyes. As if.

Dancing Winry had said. She had danced twice with Roy. Had that been romantic? It had been nice. She had enjoyed being close to him even if the first dance had been a little strange because of his behaviour. The second had been better. But that might have been because she had been too tired to do much and it had been easier to just lean against him and let him do all the work. She'd nearly fallen asleep, not that she would admit to that.

That kiss. Was that romance? Edward frowned. Did romance make you go all hot and shaky like she had been last night? How often was that going to happen anyway? Was he going to kiss her every time they went out? Ed froze. They were going to dinner tonight. She hadn't objected to his kissing her last night, did that mean he would expect it again tonight?

Why didn't the thought of kissing him again have her running in the opposite direction? Kissing another male was right up there with drinking milk and she had let him kiss her twice now. No, three times she suddenly thought, but that third one had been more his way of sealing his intentions. Four if she counted that brush of his lips after that last dance. Was she always going to count how many kisses she got? Was she always going to remember each one? She shook her head, not going to get distracted this time, she thought. She wasn't running from the thought of his kissing her because she liked it, and she scrunched her face up into a disgruntled expression at that realisation. And she groaned as she realised that not only did she like it, she also kissed him back.

"Damned bastard," she muttered.

"Who is?" Ed looked up startled and heaved a sigh of relief as she saw Al standing there.

"Hey Al." She smiled at him.

"What are you doing hiding in here, Sis?" Al came in and she waved her hand at the bookcase and he grinned. He knew what she was like if there was a book anywhere near her. "So who's the bastard this time?"

Ed laughed. "Same one as always, you know that."

"What did he do this time?" Al asked.

Ed shook her head. "It's not important. He only has to breathe to be a bastard sometimes."

Al noticed the difference between Ed's words and the sound of her voice. The same old insults but spoken without the resentful edges. Considering it was Edward speaking, he would even call it an almost affectionate tone.

"So last night went alright?" Al grinned as Ed groaned.

"Don't you start as well."

Al laughed. "Winry got to you?"

"Yep, you just missed her." Ed sighed. "No offence Al, but I am glad she picked you. I don't think I could handle her around all the time."

"You never could anyway. You two were always clashing over something." Al pointed out.

"And thank you for whatever you did that kept her from coming around last night as well. I don't know how you did it, but I owe you for that one."

"I'll think of something," Al remarked with a smug tone and Ed looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Don't get carried away, Al. She did try to sic Riza onto me and I had to hang up on her to get out of that one."

"You hung up on Hawkeye?" Al's eyes were wide.

"Yes, and I'm half expecting to get cornered by her some time this afternoon to discuss it."

"You really like living dangerously, don't you Sis?"

"Oh shut up. It's not that bad." Ed said defensively.

"Oh no, it's not that bad, it's worse." Al laughed and Ed frowned at him.

"I could always tell her that you were the one who tied those bells to Hayate's tail that time, brother mine." Ed threatened.

"You wouldn't?" Al stared at his sister who grinned back at him, eyes gleaming. Al had been led into that one by Havoc who had remarked in passing that if Breda could hear the dog coming he would be forewarned as to its approach. Al had come back to the dorm full of ideas and had settled on the idea of the bells and the next day Hayate had disappeared for five minutes and then reappeared with three bells on his tail. Breda had not known what the bells meant and it had taken them two hours to persuade him to come out of the cupboard he had jumped into as soon as he saw the dog. Hawkeye had not been very impressed as Hayate had chased his tail trying to get at the bells and refused to obey her until he had managed to bite his tail hard, and she had let them all know it. Al had spent the next two days shaking in fear in the dorm.

"Depends. A story like that, you just never know when it will come in handy to remember it again."

"That's a bit unfair, Sis. To threaten your own brother like this." Al's eyes gleamed and Ed smirked slightly.

"Oh I think it's more than fair. All we're doing is maintaining a balance here after all."

"Your tendency to try and reduce everything into equivalence and logic is beyond belief sometimes." Al remarked.

"There's nothing wrong with logic." Ed replied, looking mightily offended and then she laughed as Al groaned.

"How does the General put up with you?" Al asked and was rewarded with a blush that had him grinning. "Or is he still unaware of the logical monster you can become?"

"I'm not that bad!" Ed protested.

"So he doesn't know yet then." Al said, ignoring her protest.

"You're just as bad as I am, Al." Ed snapped back lightly.

"I don't come close to you at times, Sis." Al said with an easy good humour and she pulled a face at him. "Just admit it Ed, when it comes down to it you always look for the logic before you do anything else."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Of course not. You just take it to extremes." Al kept on grinning at her, enjoying the chance to tease her.

"And you need to learn some respect for your older brother. Tomorrow morning in the gym at Headquarters." Ed stared at him, her eyes bright and a smirk beginning to twist her lips.

* * *

"How did the function go, Roy?" Roy looked up to meet the amused eyes of Riza Hawkeye. He set down the end of the table he and Havoc were moving and saw the small grin that flashed over Jean's face. They had offered to reposition the outdoor table and chairs for the light afternoon tea later on.

"It went fine, Riza. You know how these official things go." He replied calmly, wondering if Riza had already spoken to Edward.

"Yes, I'm sure it was a perfectly boring night." Her voice was bland.

"Perfectly so." Roy said meeting her face with an equally bland look of his own.

"And did Edward find it equally boring?" Her eyes watched him closely and he smiled slightly.

"I believe so. I never asked." He smirked slightly. "Why don't you ask her, Riza?" He carefully avoided putting any emphasis on his words.

"I just might do that." Riza said almost as if he was daring her.

"You go do that." His amused tone made her frown. The man was being all too open and easy. After four years of an iceblock in the office and the years before that when he had gauged every reaction he had given to anything, to see him so casual was like looking at a different person.

Roy watched her eyes flicker as she tried to find another way to ask. It wasn't often he managed to confound her and he could see her innate discipline warring with her intense curiousity. She had never shown any interest in any of his previous dates, never had she asked or done more than shrug in complete disinterest. Until now. Until Edward. He would have been surprised if she had remained distant. He knew how she had felt about them during their four year search. He knew how she had kept an eye on Al while Ed had been away, and there was no doubt that she was watching over Edward now. The thought that she might be more concerned about Edward than himself crossed his mind and his smirk widened slightly. He knew if he asked, she would agree to that if only to put him back in his place.

"Do let me know how it goes." Roy's smirk widened as he began to walk around her and back towards the house.

"Where are you going?" She asked abruptly.

"To see if Gracia needs more help," he replied and his eye gleamed as he made his escape. Riza could be such a contrast at times, he thought as he entered the house. So blunt and demanding on most things and yet so hesitant to trespass into others. But he had a feeling she wouldn't be as reticent when she was asking Edward about it.

* * *

"…look at the calculations." He paused as he heard Edward's voice.

"It can't be that hard, Sis." Al's voice replied.

"Being so old doesn't help it any, Al. Dad's handwriting was not the best anyway but this is really scribbly. It's almost as if he was too hurried about writing it down to worry about making it legible." Roy frowned, wondering what they were talking about. Something of Hohenheim's? Was it part of the papers he had seen through her door this morning? He had assumed she had been doing something with the book she had stolen from the Library. And those papers had been old, but too old to be something of Hohenheim's. Obviously she had been researching something different.

"I can have a look if you want. How much have you done so far?"

"Not much. And I was thinking of going back to the Library, to see if there's any more of his work there as well. Given what he was studying before, I really don't want others coming across any of that." Roy blinked. Was Edward saying that that old book and those papers had been _Hohenheim's_? Or was it a book that had been handed down to Hohenheim? That made more sense to him. That book had looked over a hundred years old.

"I agree with you on that one. There's some of his books we saved before we burnt our house down at Winry's. Do you want them?" Burnt their house down? Roy took a deep breath. He had thought he had known just about everything Edward had done, except for the four years away. What else didn't he know?

"Only if you don't need them. I wouldn't mind having them. There might be something in them I can use."

"Winry's still pushing me to work with the automail. And you'd get more use out of them than I will. There's stuff in there I'd just as soon not go over again."

"I understand." There was a pause. "Sometimes I think we should have burnt them too, but…"

"Yeah, but. And I did use them a bit to get you back." Another pause and Roy wondered if he should go in or not. "I'll send them to you when we get back."

"Thanks Al. With any luck I won't have too many of those stupid functions to go to and I might actually get some work done. I always seem to get distracted from it."

"Distractions of the _General _kind?" Al's voice had a teasing tone to it and Roy heard the emphasis Al was making. He smiled as he imagined how red Edward's face would be at that remark.

"I am going to kill you tomorrow." Ed threatened and Al laughed. They had lightened the mood, Roy noticed.

"You mean you'll try. Admit it Sis, you're never going to beat me."

"You just wait Alphonse Elric. Tomorrow you're going to eat those words."

Roy shook his head as he made to start walking again. It was good to hear the two of them talking and having fun. He had heard the memories in their voices and they had not let it overwhelm them. He had known how close they were, he had seen it and now he had heard it reaffirmed. They seemed able to discuss anything. He knew Edward had discussed 'them' with Al. Just how much could she tell her brother about this, he wondered. Edward was still an intensely private person with others. He knew it had to be hard for them to be so far apart. Edward had never given any sign that the distance bothered her, but Roy was certain that it had to affect her somehow. He suddenly wondered if she saw him as a substitute of sorts. Not as someone to take her brother's place, but rather as someone to just ease the feelings of being alone. He shook his head and frowned. No, Edward wasn't doing that. He knew it was genuine attraction between them and that it had nothing to do with loneliness. On either side.

He headed up the stairs, hearing Gracia's voice coming from that direction. He hadn't felt lonely since Edward had returned when he came to think about it. He had felt a whole list of other things but not lonely. Even today, when usually he would have been swamped with regrets that Maes wasn't here and he would've sat feeling miserable and guilty, and staying longer than necessary because of that guilt. And he wasn't.

This morning, this whole day so far, was out of his normal pace. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this relaxed, this far out of from the behaviour he had imposed on himself for all these years. How much was due to Edward he wondered, and how much was because he wanted this as well. If Edward wasn't here, would he still be in that little black hole? Why was he even thinking like this?

Last night he had been jealous and he had realised again that he had no intention of letting Edward go, so why was he suddenly questioning himself? He had only decided to take it one day a time this morning. Why would he be worrying this soon? Because it was too easy. Too easy to smile and enjoy himself like this. Like Edward he felt suspicious of things that seemed too simple, too easy. Especially after so many years of staying behind his walls. It shouldn't be this easy.

"Roy?"

He blinked and looked into the concerned eyes of Gracia. She was standing just above him on the stairs and there was a concerned expression on her face. He smiled automatically, seeking to ease her worries.

"I'm fine Gracia."

"Just thinking a bit too much again?" She smiled back at him. She knew him well and his head tilted briefly with a wry grimace as he acknowledged the hit.

"Always, you know me." He replied easily and then pointed at her. "And don't tell me to simplify it." They shared a grin.

"Alright, I'll save it for next time."

"Thanks."

Gracia came down the stairs and stopped on the same stair, looking up at him with a gentle smile.

"You know he always wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, Roy."

"I know." He smiled down at her before leaning forward to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. To all three of you."

Gracia shook her head at him even as her cheeks went pink. She wasn't used to him talking like this. Usually any mention of Maes sent him frowning into the guilt.

"Go and rescue Elysia from your subordinates before they completely corrupt her," she said lightly.

He smiled, saluted cheekily and headed up the stairs again. She laughed and began to go down the stairs to be stopped mid step by the sight of a flushed Edward staring at her with what looked like jealousy in her eyes and a very confused expression on her face.

* * *

Roy found Breda, Fuery and Falman teaching Elysia how to set up a military supply dump with her new bedroom furniture and bedding. Tents had been constructed and words like 'requisition ratios of three to one' and 'the regulations state a minimum' and 'logistical demands affected by terrain' were being thrown around as they moved toys and stacked books into neat piles on the floor.

Roy leant against the doorframe and surveyed the trio as Elysia went from one to the other, following orders and asking questions. He smiled slightly before wiping his face clear and straightening up.

"Attention!" He spoke in a firm clear voice and the three automatically turned and saluted. "All personnel will return this room back to its original configuration for inspection by General Gracia Hughes in fifteen minutes." He looked down at Elysia. "I believe you know where everything should be placed, soldier?"

"Yes, Uncle Roy!" Elysia beamed at him and he struggled not to smile back at her, but his eye gleamed.

"Then you can be their Colonel and make sure they do it correctly. The General and I will expect a full report from you."

And now he did smile as she saluted and nodded her head quickly. He backed out of the room as her voice began to instruct the others and he leant against the wall listening for a moment as he controlled the urge to laugh. Maes would have appreciated the looks on their faces, he would have been in there inciting Elysia into giving outrageous orders to the trio as well. He shook his head. He was thinking of Maes more often than normal today.

He moved away and went downstairs. Tomorrow he'd go and visit his old friend.

* * *

"Edward? Are you okay?" Gracia asked as she finished walking down the stairs.

"Yes, of course." She replied but her voice had no conviction and Gracia could still see the mixed expressions on her face.

"You don't sound it and you certainly don't look it." Gracia shepherded her to the lounge and then stood in front of her. "You're looking a bit confused."

Edward scrunched her face up and fisted her hands slightly. She didn't know if she wanted to discuss this. It seemed so stupid. She had seen Roy kiss Gracia and all those pangs she had felt last night and this morning had coalesced within her into a solid lump of something she didn't like. The little logical voice inside her head had been completely unable to convince her that everything was fine, that there was nothing wrong.

"I… I don't know." Edward felt the lump fading slightly as she met Gracia's concerned look. "It's just strange feelings, that's all." Ed said almost grumbling, expecting Gracia to smile in response, but the older woman didn't smile.

"How strange?" Gracia asked and Ed fidgeted, not really wanting to discuss this.

"Just strange. It's just a weird feeling that's all." Edward frowned. "Damn, I don't know how to describe it." She absently waved her hands around. "I've felt it before, it's not you Gracia." Ed hurriedly added. "Why am I even talking about this?"

"You're talking about it because I'm not giving you a chance to get out of it." Gracia said with a warm smile.

"I hate talking about this. I wish there was a book or something, it would be so much easier." Ed groused. "It's all his fault."

"Why is it Roy's fault?" Gracia asked.

"Because if I didn't like him, I wouldn't be feeling all strange and weird like this." Ed stated.

"Can you describe this strange feeling?"

"It's just a pang thing but it sort of goes through me and makes me feel unreasonable."

"And seeing Roy close to other… people causes it." Gracia said without questioning it and Edward's eyes went wide.

"How did you know that?"

"Because I saw it in your eyes just a moment ago." Ed blushed. She hadn't wanted Gracia to know that. "It's perfectly natural to feel a bit jealous of people when you're just starting out in a relationship. It doesn't mean that you're insecure or not trusting." Ed's eyes kept getting wider and disbelief was all over her face with every word Gracia spoke.

"Jealous?" Ed's voice was a small whisper. One of her hands waved back and forward as she swallowed hard. Jealous? That strange feeling was jealousy? Edward sat down in the nearest chair. She didn't know if she was going to burst out laughing or flail headlong into denial and confusion.

Her mind went spinning from one extreme to the other. The concept was almost believable except for the fact that she had felt the same pang when she had seen Roy so close to Gracia. Edward could understand that jealousy could arise from what the Councillor had said and when she had seen Roy with that other woman. But with Gracia? That just seemed wrong and illogical. She knew how Roy felt about Gracia, she knew how Gracia felt about Roy. So why would their proximity to each other cause the same pang? This just didn't make any sense. She began to shake her head.

"That's just not possible, Gracia. It can't be jealousy."

"Why not?"

"Because I wouldn't be jealous of you. That's just… just not possible."

"And it didn't bother you that Roy kissed me just a moment ago?"

Edward began to shake her head, her eyes sliding away to the side, unable to keep meeting that steady gaze. Gracia moved over and sat down next to her.

"You don't have to lie, Edward. You know there's nothing between…"

"I know that Gracia. That's why it can't be jealousy." Ed interrupted. "It's not logical."

"Haven't I told you that this is all to do with your heart and not your mind?"

"Yes but…" Ed sighed. "I just feel that there should be something that I can at least use to get a handle on all of this. Some point of balance. It's just so all over the place."

"Would you really want to follow a set pattern, Edward?" Gracia asked. "To know exactly what was supposed to happen or how you were supposed to feel at any given time?"

"Well, no. But a list of definitions would be a help. Now I know what it is, it doesn't feel so strange. Weird still, but not as confusing." Edward looked at Gracia. "I'm sorry for…"

"Don't apologise. There was nothing you need to be sorry for." Gracia smiled and leant closer. "I went a whole week being jealous of Roy when I first met him. I was convinced that he was going to take Maes away from me, that he didn't think I was good enough for his best friend. It got so bad, I even thought Roy wanted Maes for himself." Gracia almost giggled as Edward stared wide-eyed at her.

"You're kidding?"

"No." Gracia laughed softly. "It was a long time before Maes told me he had been jealous and terrified that I would fall for Roy."

Ed snorted. "As if. Only an idiot would've fallen for the bastard, he was always so arrogant back then and there were whole lines of idiots … oh shit." Edward dropped her head into her hands and groaned.

Gracia smiled. "You are not an idiot, Edward." She nudged Edward's shoulder slightly. "You have something they never had."

"What's that?"

"Roy." Edward looked up. "They may have liked him, but he never liked any of them the way he likes you."

"So that makes me a lucky idiot?" Ed asked sceptically. "That's not what I would have defined 'being lucky' as."

"Would saying 'special' better define it for you?"

Edward stared at her. "Special? Me?" Golden eyes blinked several times and Ed could feel a lump of hysterical laughter somewhere in the back of her throat. This whole jealousy thing was unsettling her now that she knew what it was. The fact that it could make her as illogical and unreasonable as to doubt Gracia made her want the security of logic and certainty. And it didn't look like she was going to get that anytime soon. Special was the last thing Edward considered herself to be, although 'special idiot' did have an honest ring to it. Given all she had done in her life, idiocy had become second nature at times.

"Edward, you trust Roy, don't you?"

Edward paused in her rolling thoughts and tried to concentrate on Gracia's question. "I think I've had to trust the bastard ever since we first met him. Trusted him to keep our secrets, trusted his leads and information, trusted him even when he withheld stuff from us. But it's a different kind of trust now. That's what you're implying, isn't it?"

"Yes."

There was a longer pause before Edward spoke again. "Yes, I trust him." She blinked. "Does that put me on the idiot list again?"

"No." Gracia smiled. "But if you keep that in mind, it might help when things get a bit confusing."

"Maybe." Edward's voice had a dubious edge. She didn't think it was that easy. Trusting Roy was one thing, and she did trust Gracia. But trusting Roy, and Gracia, did not mean she trusted everyone else. She didn't trust Kinase. And then there were strangers, like that woman from last night, and would there be others later on? Her breath puffed out. "I think idiot is the correct definition this time."

"You can be a special one if it makes you feel better," Gracia teased and Edward groaned.

* * *

Roy grinned slightly as he stood outside the door. It pleased him to hear Edward and Gracia talking so easily. He knew Edward had gone to see Gracia at the hospital that morning. He hadn't realised how friendly they had become. He hadn't heard much of their conversation. He had been looking for Gracia and stopped when he had heard her voice and his name mentioned. Asking Edward if she trusted him.

He had wondered what was bothering Edward and why they would be talking about trust. To hear her say she had always trusted him had come as rather a shock. Edward's outbursts and rants had always implied a measure of coercion on Mustang's part for his co-operation. Never once had Edward said he trusted him. If anything he had always said he mistrusted him in everything.

And now she was admitting to having trusted him back then anyway? Roy wondered why they were talking about trust now. He was tempted to stay and listen further but knew how well that would be received if Edward ever found out about it. He stepped away from the door and walked down the hall before turning and treading heavier than usual, moved towards the lounge.

"Ah, there you are." He said as he appeared in the doorway and saw them both on the sofa. Gracia and Edward looked up and Edward's face became tinged in pink. "General Gracia's presence is required in Colonel Elysia's room." He smirked slightly and they exchanged a quick look.

"Just what have you done to my daughter, Roy?" Gracia asked sternly as she stood up. Edward choked on a laugh as Roy took a step back, his eye suddenly wide, before he recovered and his smirk reappeared.

"She's been directing Falman and company and they need your approval on their activities." He replied and her eyebrows rose at the blandness of his tone.

"Exactly what activities have they been doing?" Gracia queried and her eyes gleamed. "If I have become a General, I do believe I require the escort of a Lieutenant-General as befits my status on this inspection tour."

Edward leant back on the sofa and laughed. "And a Lieutenant-Colonel as well." Gracia added as she surveyed the laughing blonde.

"You are completely out-ranked now, Edward." Roy smirked as Edward began to stand up. She looked at him and smirked back.

"So are you, bastard."

* * *

"Edward Elric is the stubbornest and thickest person I know!" Winry suddenly announced in the kitchen.

"You asked her about last night." Riza stated.

"Of course I did!"

"What did she say?" Riza asked with a small smile as she watched the kettle start to boil.

"She said it was boring. She said she fell asleep!"

Riza laughed. "That sounds like Edward."

"Did you ask Mustang about it?"

"Yes, I did. He said it was boring too." Riza replied. Her nails tapped at the bench. "And then he almost dared me to ask Edward."

"Edward wouldn't have a clue." Winry groused. "She has no idea of anything. She did say they danced together, but there should be more to it."

"More?" Schieska asked from the other corner as she set out several trays.

"Yes, more!" Winry said. "They like each other, so where's the romance? Edward mentioned dancing with him in the same tone of voice as she would reciting an alchemy reaction. In fact there would have been more expression in her voice if she had been talking about alchemy."

"Winry, you didn't expect Ed to tell you anything personal did you?" Schieska asked, her eyes wide.

"No, but Ed has never managed to avoid letting something slip. Even if it's just the way she goes red or ignores the question. Once I know she's hiding something I can usually get her to talk. But there was absolutely nothing today."

"Then it would appear that nothing happened." Riza said and looked up as Gracia entered the kitchen.

"Nothing happened where?" She asked as she looked around.

"Winry's trying to find out what happened last night between Roy and Edward." Riza informed her and Gracia smiled.

"Neither one will appreciate you asking, Winry."

"I know, but Ed usually lets something out."

"It was an official function. There's never much time for anything personal to happen anyway." Gracia said. "Every time we went to one, Maes was forever going around and talking and mingling."

"And Roy always avoids them if he can. He really dislikes them." Riza pointed out. "If he and Ed shared anything it would have been complaints at how much they didn't want to be there."

"And that's another thing." Winry began. "Ed's new to all this dressing up and going out stuff. She won't let us help her. What if she gets invited to another one?"

"Knowing Ed, she'd just wear the same again." Riza smiled.

"Well, even I know that's not what you do." Schieska remarked and they all looked at her. "Well it's not."

"But Ed doesn't." Winry pointed out. "She doesn't know any of this."

"Does it matter that she doesn't, Winry?" Gracia asked.

"Of course it matters. I know Ed's never been one to worry about appearances and things, but she can't avoid that now. You know what it's like. People always pick at what you wear or how your hair is. Ed's got absolutely no idea how it all works. How do we know she didn't do something completely wrong last night?"

"If Edward has a problem, I'm sure she'd let us know." Gracia said soothingly.

"Oh really? Ed's the most stubborn person I know. When she has a problem, sharing is the last thing she does. She broods and worries over things until she finds a solution. You know what she's like when she finds something to research. She treats problems just the same."

"If anything went wrong last night, we would've heard it on the rumour mill." Riza pointed out. "Jean said there was no mention of anything when he and Fuery were at Headquarters this morning."

"You'd only get rumours if Ed did something really bad, like destroying the building or throwing a major tantrum." Winry responded. "Ed doesn't even think of herself as female, she knows nothing about what it means. She could do everything wrong and she wouldn't even know."

* * *

Roy was coming down the stairs when he saw Edward disappearing silently out the front door and he frowned. He took the last step and looked down the hall. He headed towards the kitchen casting a look over his shoulder to the front door.

"…will learn. Edward's always been very quick." He heard Riza speaking and he wondered what they were talking about.

"I know that but if we don't tell her, there's nowhere else she can learn it from." Winry's voice. His frown deepened, what did Edward need to learn?

"There are books." Schieska spoke up. "Most of them are old though. It's just not something people need these days. Things have changed a fair bit since then."

"Edward would probably be offended if you gave her one of those books." Gracia commented. "And she doesn't need instruction on manners and decorum. I think you're making this into something it isn't, Winry. Edward will do it her own way, just as she always has done."

Roy began to believe that eavesdropping was his lot today. This was the third time and all it was doing was giving him more and more questions. He was very tempted to go into the kitchen and interrupt them, but knew they probably wouldn't tell him what they were discussing. He looked back to the front door. Edward knew, or she had at least heard some part of it. Whereas his inadvertent listening had not caused him any hurt, Edward didn't seem to have been as lucky.

His fingers itched but he turned on his heel and walked to the front door. He opened it quietly. He did not want anyone else following them out here. He scanned the small front yard as he closed the door behind him. It took him a moment to spot the prone figure half-hidden, laying in the shadow of the single tree.

He smiled as he walked over and sat down beside her. She had her left arm thrown over her face and she moved it slightly. One golden eye focused on him and he heard her sigh before she covered her eye again.

He leant against the tree and stretched his legs out, prepared to wait until she was ready to talk. He watched the way the speckled shadows shifted across her, occasionally highlighting her hair. Her braid was like a golden snake beside her shoulder and he didn't realise his hand had moved until he saw his fingers running lightly over the coiled heap of her braid. He pulled it gently, straightening it carefully across the small gap between them. She didn't seem to notice what he was doing and he enjoyed the soft weight of her braid in his hands.

"The Fuhrer's going to make me a liaison between the Military and the Central Council." She suddenly spoke and his fingers tightened on her hair. She was still laying there, her face still half covered by her arm.

"When will this happen?" He asked carefully, not able to detect any sign of her feelings in her expressionless voice.

"The end of next week probably." His eye flickered as he caught a resentful edge breaking through.

"How do you know this?"

"The asshole let it slip last night." Roy felt his hand fist around her braid. Damned Kinase. The man had sent Roy spinning into a jealous tantrum last night and now he could feel it digging back into his mind again. As a liaison Edward would have to be in the asshole's company more often than he liked to think about. Even though Roy knew she didn't like the Councillor, it still irked him. It irked him a lot.

"Are you sure about it?" He asked.

"The Fuhrer gave me a week to …" Edward paused, her mouth pulling down. "The asshole and I had a disagreement and he knows it and gave me a week to sort it out. He probably said the same thing to Kinase as well."

"And you think that when you have resolved this disagreement the Fuhrer will appoint you?"

"Yep."

"What was the disagreement about?" Roy asked and was not surprised by her silence. Her right arm was across her stomach and he could see her hand clench tight. He kept his fingers running over her braid as he waited for her to decide whether to tell him or not.

Edward knew she was going to tell him. The friendly manner that seemed to be all over him today wasn't letting her do her usual trick of ignoring him and his questions so she could brood over it in private. But that friendly manner also had her worried. Worried that once she started talking, she wasn't going to be able to stop.

She didn't know if she could restrict herself to just discussing what Kinase had said. Because what the Councillor had said had implications for everything else. And Roy was smart enough to see that. And she hadn't even started on the other plans the Fuhrer had listed yet.

"I'm being appointed because I'm a female alchemist. Because of what I_ look_ like, not because of who I am. A symbol. Some _thing_. The Councillor was so kind as to point that out to me, along with his recommendation that I should start to see myself as others see me." Her voice was low but Roy could hear the contempt in her words and her right hand was fisting hard.

"Politics." Roy said involuntarily. "Although the last part seems a bit personal."

"I think he thinks it would make it easier for me to accept the position."

"Now that is shit." Roy remarked and Edward's left arm shifted, a startled golden eye looked at him.

"You swore."

"I do know all the words." He smiled and her lips twitched. "And you're trying to change the subject."

She grimaced at him and her eye disappeared under her arm again. "Bastard." She said easily and he smoothed her braid out.

"So you say. What did you do to the Councillor for saying all that?"

"I was going to hit him but he was holding my hands. I said I was going to refuse the position and he said the Fuhrer would make it an order if I tried that."

Roy froze. He remembered seeing the two of them standing there. That quick glimpse through the dancers, Edward's hands trapped between them, heads close together. He had had to shut down completely to keep from snapping and incinerating the table, the Councillor and the whole damned room, the jealousy had grabbed him so hard and only the Fuhrer's presence beside him had kept him from doing just that.

"He said we needed to get some things straight between us as we were going to be working together. He said… he made a smartass comment and I …I ended up telling him that he was an asshole and I wouldn't work with him at all. I said I'd quit first."

Roy's eyebrow rose at her words. The hesitations worried him slightly. It wasn't like her to leave things out unless they were very bad or very embarrassing and he could see her fidget slightly and a slight blush on her cheeks. Not bad, but embarrassing and he wondered what that 'smartass comment' had been and just what she had said in reply.

"Quit?"

"Yes."

"There you are."

* * *

Elysia, accompanied by Falman, Fuery and Breda entered the kitchen and looked around with a huge smile. Cups and plates and little cakes were all being laid out. Elysia loved afternoon tea and she bounded happily from one corner of the kitchen to the other.

Everyone watched her with a smile. She was taller, thinner and still had that air of fragility about her but her smile was wide, her eyes were bright and to see her so alive and at home was the best sight they could have wished for.

"Where's Uncle Roy and sister?" She asked her mother as she came over to help.

"I thought they were still with you, sweetheart."

Elysia shook her head. "No."

The back door opened and Al and Jean came in. Elysia went straight across and pounced on Al who swung her up for a hug.

"Where's Sis?" She asked as she wrapped her thin arms around his neck.

'I thought she was in here." Al replied, looking around as if to see her hiding behind someone.

"We gots to find them." Elysia said in the voice that had Fuery, Falman and Breda saluting and saying "yes Colonel" to the amusement of the others.

"Them?" Al queried, looking at the little Colonel.

"Uncle Roy's missing too." She earnestly informed him and he bit his lip to stop from joining in the grins he could see on everyone else's face.

"Perhaps they just needed to talk about something." He said when he had managed to get his face under control.

"But it's nearly afternoon tea-time. They have to be here for that too." Elysia spoke, a frown working its way between her eyes and a small pout on her lips.

"If you and Al look out the back, sweetheart, I'll look out the front and everyone else can search the house." Gracia suggested as she wiped her hands on the tea towel. Knowing Ed and Roy weren't out the back meant that Elysia was not going to see anything that was going to bring out a whole rash of questions she didn't want Elysia to ask until she was a lot older.

Gracia saw Elysia's happy nod and Al's small grin. She smiled at them both and left the kitchen with the others, heading to the front door while the others disbursed through the house. Gracia frowned. Why had those two disappeared, she wondered. She could understand Edward needing some space to think in but she had seemed relaxed and at ease as they had conducted their 'inspection' of Elysia's room earlier. Roy and Ed had stayed up there listening to the others describe exactly what they had tried to build while Gracia had left to go to the kitchen.

She looked out the front door and saw them under the tree. She smiled as she went down the steps. They looked quite relaxed and peaceful she thought. It was almost a shame to have to interrupt them, but she knew Elysia would insist on coming out here as soon as she knew where they were.

"There you are." She spoke clearly as she approached and Roy turned to look at her. The expression on his face had her blinking before it disappeared and a smile appeared in its place.

"Were you looking for us?" He asked.

"Yes, it's almost time for afternoon tea, and Elysia wanted you two there as well."

"We wouldn't miss it." Edward said as she took her arm away from her face and began to sit up. Her braid slipped through Roy's fingers and he looked at her carefully. Gracia's interruption had not been the most well-timed and Edward didn't look relieved to have their talking disrupted. She had wanted to say more. He knew he wanted to hear it.

He stood up and held his hand out, somewhat surprised that she took it and allowed him to haul her upright. She met his eye for a quick glance and he could see her ambivalence about the interruption. Perhaps tonight they would be able to discuss it further, along with all the other questions he had managed to collect so far today.

Gracia watched them and wondered just what they had been talking about. They might have looked comfortable but she got the feeling they had been talking of serious matters. Roy's expression had not been that of a man relaxing with someone he liked, it had been his work face and Edward was looking displaced as she brushed her clothes down. She smiled at Gracia but it wasn't reaching her eyes.

"I suppose the little Colonel has everyone looking for us." Edward said as if trying to distract Gracia from asking any questions.

"Yes she has. Al has her out the back searching for you." Gracia replied. She walked in front of them, not hurrying, knowing they needed this small amount of time to push whatever they had been talking about to one side and get back into the mood for being with the others again. Both had always been good at covering up and by the time they re-entered the house, they looked just as they had earlier.

* * *

"Where were you, Ed?" Winry demanded.

"Just outside. What's the problem?" Edward's eyes flickered, she hadn't forgotten what she had overheard Winry saying. Those words had led to the thoughts that had led her to the Councillor's comments.

"With Mustang?"

"Yes, with Mustang."

"What were you doing?"

"Talking." Edward paused and then asked. "What were you doing?"

"I was talking too." Winry frowned.

"What about?" Edward asked.

Winry wasn't about to tell Ed that she had been the topic of conversation and her eyes slid sideways for a brief moment. "Not much. Why are you asking me this? It's annoying."

"Because that's what you're doing to me, Winry, and yes, it is very annoying." Edward's eyes gleamed and Winry scowled at her.

"Fine, I won't ask any more." Winry said grudgingly and Edward's smile was more smirk than smile. Winry almost growled at her before stomping off to find Al and Edward started laughing. She knew that in half an hour they'd be back to normal, but it was always fun to tease Winry.

"Playing dangerous games, Ed." Riza told her with a smile.

"Nah, Winry will be fine. I'll just stay out of the way until Al has calmed her down." Ed grinned at her before heading down the hall and into the kitchen.

"So what were you really doing, Chief?" Havoc drawled lightly.

"Talking." Roy replied before he followed Edward, leaving the others to exchange a quick look. Mustang's response had been rather abrupt, made more noticeable because of his earlier openness.

"Gracia?" Riza asked and turned the green-eyed woman.

"I don't know. They were just sitting there. I thought they were just enjoying a little time alone, but, I don't know. It looked more like they'd been discussing work or something very serious."

"There's nothing at work that would be worth talking about." Riza remarked.

"Then maybe it came from last night?" Breda asked thoughtfully.

"Perhaps." Riza relied, slightly doubtfully.

"Whatever it is, you leave it alone." Jean looked at Riza and caught her rueful expression at his words. "Let them work this out. It hasn't been three days and they've had no time to themselves, what say we cut them a little space for awhile?"

"Uncle Roy says Sis is going to eat all the cakes if you don't come now!" Elysia called in a worried voice as she suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide. "You gots to come now!" She repeated and they all laughed.

"Alright Jean, I won't ask." Riza said quietly as they headed to the kitchen.

"Unless they mention it first?" He questioned and gave her a quick kiss as she grinned at him.

"Of course."

* * *

Edward found it strange to be seated next to Roy. They'd sat opposite each other, they'd sat with people between them but never side by side like this. She didn't recall it being this squashed around the table when they'd been here for the birthday party. Occasionally his shoulder would brush against hers as he leant to reach for something or to talk to Al on her other side. She found it hard to avoid brushing against him as she did the same.

It was a relief that no-one was talking about last night anymore. She could feel herself relaxing back into the easiness she had been in when they had first arrived. She stopped tensing every time Winry opened her mouth, Al had managed to soothe her as Ed had known he would.

Office gossip, old stories and watered down hospital tales abounded. Edward had to alchemise several serviettes when Elysia mentioned the flowers and Al wanted to see them. Roy noticed that Edward did not tell any stories of the times she had been hospitalised and Al was careful to avoid bringing it up as well. And neither did Winry. He hid his smile at that. Edward and Winry might not always get on, but Winry didn't think twice at protecting her either.

Edward might not have a big family, but she had a very close one. He remembered the talk he had overheard earlier and wondered just exactly what had happened to Hohenheim. Edward had mentioned him once. During that night in the library she had said that Hohenheim had died because of her. The hatred she had always professed to feeling had been missing both on that night and today.

Along with continuing their interrupted conversation, there was more than enough to talk about over dinner tonight, he thought.

Gracia and Riza watched them as unobtrusively as they could. Riza became aware that Roy's earlier easy manner had faded and that Edward was being careful with what she said. Gracia found it remarkable that two people who so obviously liked each other could sit there and rarely speak to each other. They exchanged the occasional insult and teasing remark but they mainly talked with the others around them. They seemed comfortable sitting there but there was a sense of being apart from the others. As if they were marking time here.

Roy caught Gracia looking at Edward and he smiled at the thoughtful expression on her face. He wondered if Edward was aware of how closely she was being watched. They had stopped asking questions but the questions were still there. He foresaw a week of little comments and casual remarks coming up as they tried to pry the answers from him.

Edward saw Riza looking at Roy and wondered why the blonde woman was frowning like that. The feeling that she now knew as jealousy tried to stand up but Edward rolled her eyes at it and it disappeared. Stupid feelings, she thought. There was no sense to them and finding ways to cope with them was always guaranteed to lead her into confusion. But at least she had this one pegged now. She knew what to do with it.

She surreptitiously pulled her watch out and wondered if they were still going to dinner tonight. He hadn't said otherwise so she assumed he was sticking to his declaration from last night. She had been correct earlier. Once she had started talking, she had wanted to continue and she still felt the need to talk. It had been easy to lay there and just talk to him. She'd never had a moment like that before. Would it be as easy to talk over dinner as it had been then? She had managed it at lunch, surely this wouldn't be any different? It seemed that all she was doing today was talking.

The afternoon tea degenerated from almost polite to almost riotous when Jean Havoc mentioned that next week was the start of the annual Inspection visits and that the Lieutenant-General was going to have to not only have his own office inspected but was also required to inspect other offices. The not so subtle dig at the state of his paperwork that accompanied Havoc's observation had Roy leaning back and informing Major Havoc that as he was so "concerned about the reputation of the office you can finish it off while I carry out the inspections."

"I can't do that, Chief!" Havoc protested. "You're the only one that can sign off on them."

"Maybe you should learn to forge my signature then." Roy replied almost casually.

"Why would I need to do that when Ed… oh shit." Jean's blue eyes fixed on Edward who dropped her head to the table with a groan as he came to a sudden stop when he realised what he was saying. Havoc failed to notice the gleam in Roy's eye but Hawkeye didn't.

"Edward?" Roy asked and Edward lifted her head to look at him. She glared at him and couldn't say what she wanted to because Elysia was sitting on Gracia's lap and watching them. Edward could see the look in his eye and knew he was doing this deliberately. She took a deep breath as she sat up straight and leant back in her chair, forcing herself to look completely relaxed.

"What?"

"Would you like to explain this?" Roy's voice was smooth and she smirked at him.

"No." She looked at Havoc. "I'm sure Havoc is more than capable of explaining it."

Havoc's jaw dropped and he stared from one to the other before staring at Edward. "You are not leaving me hanging on this one, Boss!"

"You're the one that opened his mouth and put me in it." Edward replied.

"It was a long time ago." Havoc protested.

"What was?" Roy asked and Havoc stopped again. The gleam in Roy's eye got brighter and a smirk began to appear.

"It's nothing, Chief. Just nothing." Havoc replied and tried to settle into his chair.

"It doesn't sound like nothing, Havoc. It sounded like you were implying that Edward can forge my signature."

"Sister!" Al scolded and Edward turned to face him.

"You knew that, Al!" Ed defended herself and then heard Havoc groan. "Ah shit."

"Language, Edward," Gracia pointed out and Edward dropped her head again. It was just as well she knew that Roy already knew this because she had just let it all out. Just like the old days when her mouth ran too far ahead of her brain.

"I didn't know anything about it, Edward. How could you?" Al was staring hard at her and she turned her head on the table to meet his stern look.

"I always thought you knew, Al." She was hard pressed to keep herself from smiling. Roy's little game had suddenly gotten out of his control. "It was just for late passes and library access." She wasn't about to mention the other use to Al. Roy's reaction had been bad enough, Al's would be worse.

"I didn't know. How come Jean knew and I didn't?" Al demanded and Havoc groaned again.

"Al, lets drop it now." Havoc pleaded.

"No, I want to know how you knew this and I didn't."

"He caught me signing a late pass one time." Edward told her brother as she straightened up. "It's no big deal Al. It was a long time ago."

Al frowned but Edward kept staring at him steadily. Al looked across to Havoc and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Anything else you feel the need to add, Jean?" He asked extra politely and Edward bit her lips to stop from laughing. Al knew there was more. He had always been able to sense these things.

"Uh, maybe some other time, Al." Jean said cautiously with a quick look at Mustang who was watching with great interest. He had always wondered why Ed had caved in to her brother and as the grey eyes stared at him he knew. When Al wanted to, he could make those usually innocent eyes seem to see right inside you. They seemed to read every thought in his head.

"I think now would be a better time." Roy said and Havoc turned to see a full-blown smirk facing him.

"You know! Damn it, you already know!" He accused his superior officer while Al and most of the others stared at them.

Edward couldn't help it; she started to laugh and then clapped her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle it. Havoc glared at her before he bit his lip to stop from laughing. Roy looked around the table. It appeared that Edward and Havoc had managed to pull their letter stunt off without anyone else knowing about it. Even more amazing was the fact they had managed to keep it secret for all these years.

"Sister?" Al asked and Edward shook her head as she tried to control her laughter.

"Your sister and the Major once sent letters in my name around East Headquarters, Al." Roy said as Edward and Havoc just couldn't make their voices work.

"You did that?" Breda looked at Havoc. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Jean." Riza spoke quietly but sternly and he just laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders.

Everyone began to tell the story as Gracia and Winry had never heard it and Al stared at Edward.

"Tomorrow morning, Sister." He muttered to her and she nodded with a grin.

"Sneaky bastard." Edward leant closer to Roy and he smirked at her.

"You are just lucky I already knew about it, or you would be rather warm about now, Edward." His reply was equally soft.

"I know." She smirked back at him.

* * *

It was another hour before everyone began to say goodbye. And another half an hour to actually leave as Elysia insisted on everyone having one last look at her new furniture.

Edward slid into the car with a smile as Roy got in the other side.

"I wish I had that much energy," she remarked as she had to wave out the window again at the small girl whose arm never seemed to stop moving.

"You still do, Edward." Roy laughed and she grimaced at him before settling into the seat comfortably.

"You just wish for that much energy."

"I had enough to beat you this morning." He pointed out.

"Oh shut up."

Roy laughed and she went quiet as he concentrated on driving. Edward looked out the window. She let out her breath carefully as her eyelids dropped halfway. Why was it so damned nice to be alone with him now? Apart from those five minutes under the tree, she had been with the others since they had arrived. She had never felt this contented when she was with them. It was a different feeling even to when she was with Al. It was a strange thing to know the one person who had been, and still was, able to make her so angry, was now the one who could make her feel this calm. Unnatural, completely unnatural, she thought.

"I'll pick you up in an hour, Edward." She blinked and looked at him and then out the window. They were at the dorms.

"An hour?"

"For dinner, remember." He smiled.

"I remember." She paused and her fingers twisted. She frowned before shaking her head slightly. "No problems, I'll be ready." She grinned suddenly as she got out of the car. "Don't you be late."

He grinned back and watched as she entered the dorms. He wondered what she had been going to say as he headed home to shower and change.

* * *

Edward stared at her wardrobe with a black frown. Words she had overheard earlier filtered through her turning mind.

"…_What if she gets invited to another one?"_

"_Knowing Ed, she'd just wear the same again." Riza smiled._

"_Well, even I know that's not what you do." Schieska remarked. _

She looked at the black dress she had worn last night. If she hadn't heard them talking she would have worn it again. But what if dinner tonight was not somewhere she needed to get dressed up for? She should have asked him where they were going to go to, but she hadn't been able to get the words out. It had seemed silly to ask him that when what she really needed to know is what she was supposed to wear for this dinner.

She looked at the other dresses. The long green thing and the deep midnight blue gown she had worn to the ball. And the other one. Should she wear it?

"I can't believe I'm getting so worked up about this." She growled and pulled the dress out of the wardrobe. "It's like I'm some stupid girl or something." Edward groaned at herself. "It's just a dress, a revolting dress and I don't care if it's all wrong, I'm going to wear the damned thing and then I'm going to tell that bastard I never want to go to dinner again." She stomped off to the bathroom.

* * *

Roy drove back to the dorms and was surprised to see Edward waiting for him. She was leaning against the wall and staring at the ground in front of her. He stopped the car and opened the door before she looked up to see him. Déjà vu hit him as she began to walk across the paving.

Her hair was in the long tail and he blinked as she came closer. Red. Her dress was a deep dark red. A modest V-neckline with long sleeves as always to hide her automail. But it was the way it fitted her, the way it revealed the curve from breast to hip. No waist line, the material fell smoothly from her hips to swirl at mid calf.

"_I want."_

Roy swallowed hard as the words went through his mind complete with a heated wave that he just knew was going to take up residence in the lower parts of his stomach. Four years of celibacy without a qualm and he didn't know how he was going to survive the next five minutes.

* * *

Author's Note: It's here, I hadn't forgotten it. Thank you for being so patient with me. My monster and I have had some fun times with this chapter, namely a reluctance on his part to let Roy eavesdrop without barging in, and Ed and Winry's argument nearly got out of hand…lol… Tika hoki

Thank you as always.

silken :)


	31. A Date or Just Dating?

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 31: A Date or Just Dating? **

Lust. Pure and simple and he stared at the blonde and wondered just how the hell he was supposed to cope with this. He tried to think of something, anything to distract his thoughts and his eye from skimming along the curve of her hips and sliding upwards to the soft swell of her breasts. He recalled her as young _male _teen, shouting and cursing at him, he tried to remember the boy who had confronted him on everything. Short and angular, all hard lines and loud noises. All male. It wasn't helping.

This sudden heat wasn't something he had ever expected. Not with Edward. It wasn't as if he had never considered getting physically close to Edward. Several times his mind had gone wandering that way, usually at the most inappropriate time, like that night at the hospital. He had always been able to bring his thoughts under control. Until now. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so overwhelmed with a rush like this.

But watching her walking toward him in that simple red dress suddenly had him feeling as if every dream he had ever had had just been made real. He knew how soft her hair was, he knew how sweet she tasted, but to slide his hands over her bare back, to trace the contours of female curves and planes with his fingers and tongue, to feel the division of metal and flesh, that's what he wanted now. He wanted to know and the fact that she had been male didn't seem to matter at all. And that confused him.

Roy had never been attracted to men and until he had realised he was attracted to Edward, he hadn't really considered his sexuality at all. He had questioned it then and not really come to a solid conclusion other than that he was attracted to Edward, despite or regardless of her past gender. And he hadn't considered it since. He liked Edward, he hadn't thought any further than that. Even kissing her hadn't really gotten him thinking.

He felt that it should matter. He knew it mattered to Edward, so why did it_ not_ bother him? He was thinking of getting physical with someone with female parts but a male mind. Someone who probably knew less that he did about those female parts. Roy stopped short at that thought. He'd bet his gloves that Edward knew little, if anything about sex. Hell, he'd bet his own soul that Edward had been, and still was, a virgin, which meant that _female_ Edward was even more innocent. She'd be totally clueless.

Would she even recognise any move on his part if he tried to do anything other than kiss her? And if she did, he had a very fair idea of how she would react. He had seen her initial reaction to the thought of dancing. Even though she had accepted it and had danced, he now wondered just how deep that acceptance was. Every time she had danced, she had been fulfilling her duties. Not once had she been allowed to refuse. Even he hadn't given her a choice. And dancing was nothing compared to what he wanted to do with her now. Just because she had let him kiss her, _and kissed me back_, didn't mean she was going to want, or had even thought about, what came next.

Edward tilted her head as she walked over to where Roy was standing by the car. He was staring intently at her and she frowned slightly, her back stiffening. Had she done something wrong? He didn't seem upset but it was a continual stare and he appeared to be going from one frown to another. She didn't think he was even blinking. She wished she had told Gracia now about going tonight simply so she could drop in and get Gracia's approval of her outfit.

He was still doing it. Last time he had walked from the car to meet her halfway. Tonight he was just staring and not moving. If she had done something wrong then she wasn't about to let him see that she was worried about it. She kept walking towards him, a sharp comment working its way through the growing discomfort his stare was creating, and it was only when she got close did he move.

He straightened up and took two steps to stand right in front of her, forcing her to look up. There was a strange gleam in his eye and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. She was almost disappointed when he didn't, but she was slightly stunned when he ran a slow finger down the side of her face.

"You look beautiful, Edward." His voice was soft and sincere and it helped ease her earlier worry that something was wrong with her appearance, but he still had that strange expression in his eye. There was something that he wasn't saying and she didn't know if that was a good thing or not. The gentle touch and that look…_it couldn't be bad, could it?_ There was a warm feeling circling just under her ribs and it remained even after he stepped back. "Time we were going."

She nodded and followed him as he walked around the car to open the door for her. She frowned slightly as she slid into the car. He had done this before, she didn't need to him open doors. She knew how to do that, but he did it for her without seeming to think about it. As if it was expected of him. As if there was a rule he knew and she didn't. She followed his progress around the car and when he got into the car it took her a moment to realise he had picked something up from the seat between them and was offering it to her.

"This isn't a… a corsage," was all she could think of to say. She remembered what he had said last night. She looked at the long stemmed flower and knew enough to know it was a rose in a deep red shade. There was no ribbon, no pins, it was just a single flower.

"I know." He twirled it gently before placing it in her hand. "A corsage is not required for every occasion. Sometimes you need to keep things simple."

There was something wrong here. His voice had dropped into the registers that had her going warm inside. He was giving her a single rose and he was looking at her in the strangest of ways. There was something really wrong here. She frowned. She was only just getting used to the human Roy she had seen all day and now he had gone and changed again.

"What are you up to, bastard?" She tilted her head and kept her eyes on him. She saw the knowing smile that crossed his face as his eyebrow rose. Oh great, now he was going to think she was completely stupid, she thought with a silent groan. Which was true, she reluctantly admitted to herself. She didn't know what she was supposed to do or how to react. The damned man was becoming more unpredictable every time she saw him.

"I'm not up to anything." He kept smiling at her. "Tonight is simply dinner, Edward. No speeches, no being on display, no questions." His voice dropped again. "Just you and me."

Edward was sure of it now as he turned away and started the car. Something was different, he was up to something, something she couldn't see. There was something in his manner that made her feel slightly uneasy.

Roy forced himself to concentrate on the road. It was all too easy to be distracted by the blonde beside him. Finally he was taking her to dinner. This is what he had been aiming for, for what seemed like a very long time. To finally be alone with her. It wasn't quite the date he had envisioned and he wasn't regretting that. The sudden rush of lust more than made up for that. He wasn't sure if he'd survive the evening if he had thought of this as a date. _Idiot that I am, this is a date in all but name._ _Yes, but a date would have had you thinking of more than just a kiss goodnight, wouldn't it Roy? _He nearly snorted at that thought. He was already thinking of more than a kiss goodnight.

He intended to give Edward a small taste of what a date would be like. He thought that they could have a quiet intimate dinner with no expectations, no pressures. With an almost legitimate reason of answering questions, he had finally managed to get her to himself. And he had several questions he was going to ask her. If he could remember them.

Edward didn't usually mind the silence as he drove. It gave her time to think, but this time she would rather have been talking. She twirled the rose in her hands. What was she supposed to do with this? Carry it with her? Leave it in the car? Stick it in her hair? The stray memory of something she had seen on the other side came to her and a grin crossed her face as she pictured herself walking around with the rose between her teeth. She frowned, what had been the name of that show… opera again? Alfons had dragged her along to it one night simply because of the stage mechanics. She shook her head, she couldn't remember it and had spent most of the show working out formulae on her program.

She wondered if they had operas like that here. She'd never really noticed anything like that in East City and she hadn't spent long enough in Central to know, and there had been a whole district of theatres and picture houses in Munich. Roy would know and she looked at him. He can't have just taken all his dates to dinner, there had to have been more to them. She looked at the rose. Was tonight a date?

What if it was? What happened next? She frowned. Did she even want to think of this as a date? _Hell no. Dates were for girls and all that crap. Roy doesn't see me like that. Does he?_ _Exactly how does he see me? I know what I look like, but I don't see _me_ as being female. I know he's said he sees me as Edward, but what does that mean to him? He was staring really hard earlier, what was he looking at? What is he seeing when he looks at me?  
_

Edward had never missed an opportunity to completely confuse herself and now was no exception.

* * *

"Dominic's?" She asked as the car pulled to a stop and she looked across at the lit building.

"Yes." He nodded, giving her a quick smile before opening his door. He started to walk around the car to open her door, but Edward was out before he could take more than a few steps. He smiled slightly and waited for her before reaching for her hand and linking it through his arm.

"What are you doing?" She looked up at him, slightly unnerved by his action. She could walk, this wasn't like last night and there were no stairs.

"You don't like this?" He asked, rather than answer her question.

She frowned and he could see the colour rising in her face. "It's… it's not bad, I guess."

"Then that's why I did it."

"Because it's not bad?" Edward stared at him. "That is some twisted thought process you have there, bastard."

"No more twisted than you needing to question it in the first place." He pointed out and she frowned at him.

"If I hadn't wanted to know, I wouldn't have asked." Edward retorted. "It's what normal people do when they want to gather information. They ask questions."

"I have no objections to you asking questions." Roy replied easily. "Don't point at me when you don't like the answers."

"I didn't say I didn't like it." Edward almost glared at him. "I meant your reason was a stupid one."

"Because you didn't understand it." Roy began walking towards the door and tugged her with him.

"That's it?" Edward stopped walking and pulled her hand free. "You're going to leave it at that?"

"Yes," he said before he turned to look at her. "Edward, why does it matter to you?"

"Because …" Ed tugged at her hair and sighed. She started walking again, heading to the door. "You're right. It doesn't matter." Why did she feel a bit jumpy now? Things were changing and she didn't understand it. Was this a date? Did his wanting to link arms have something to do with that? _I think I want to go home._

"Edward?" Roy queried. Why was Edward just shrugging this aside? Normally she'd keep on pushing once she started. He was trying to keep his thoughts from spiralling into places he knew were going to keep him up…_awake_ he forcefully corrected himself, all night. Ever since he had seen her his whole mindset had shifted and he was having a hard…_difficult_ time trying to keep his balance. He wanted to keep her close, he wanted to walk in there with her at his side and he wanted everyone to see that she was with him.

"Are we going to eat or not, Mustang?" she asked without turning around and he could hear a distance in her voice. He frowned slightly and moved to stop her from taking the last few steps to the restaurant door. He stood in front of her and noticed that she didn't look up at him. He lifted his hand and placed his fingers under her chin, tipping her head back. The light behind him allowed him to see her face clearly. Uncomfortable. She looked uncomfortable, uneasy at being close to him. Gone was their friendly atmosphere from this afternoon, now she looked uneasy and almost as if she'd turn around and leave at any moment.

Roy didn't think before he opened his mouth. "Would you rather I tell you that I want to have you at my side, Edward so that when we walk through those doors and people see you, they'll know that you are with me?" He saw the blood rush to her face and he lowered his voice. "I want to do this because I like you."

Edward swallowed hard, feeling her face burn. That damned smooth deep voice that always made her go warm inside and that eye gleaming at her kept her from moving and then he moved his thumb gently across the front of her chin, just under her bottom lip and all the heat in her face went tumbling down into her stomach somewhere. Her breath rushed out as he leant closer. He brushed a kiss across her lips.

"Get used to this Edward, because I don't intend to stop."

"Do I get a say in this?" She asked as she tried to ignore the tingling in her lips and wanting to _move closer, no, step back, no, don't move, no, what the hell do I do?_ She took a deep breath and tried to get her thoughts back on track. This was too unsettling. Just what was he playing at? There was something definitely strange about him tonight.

"Of course. We're in this together, remember?"

"Half of me wants to hit you right now." She felt disgruntled. He was making things confusing and complicated. Why couldn't it be like this afternoon? Her forehead creased and she stared at him for a long moment. She was tempted to ask him what was going on, but she couldn't find the words. There were parts of her mind telling her that maybe having to know the reasons just didn't matter at the moment, that seeing this new Roy could be rather fun. _Like hell_, she thought.

"What does the other half want to do?" Roy couldn't resist asking.

"I think it wants to kick you," she said, almost grousing at her thoughts.

"I thought we agreed to not do the hitting anymore?" he said lightly, trying to ease her, and himself, back into the friendly manner they had had earlier because if he kept this up he just knew he was going to have kiss her again, and not a simple touch on her lips.

"That was a one time only deal, bastard." Ed replied and wondered how he could change from one mood to the next so easily. Just what _was_ he thinking about? This time her main source of confusion wasn't her but him.

He smiled and let go of her chin. He took a small step back and held his arm out. She bit her lip as she looked from his arm to his face and back again. Contrarily she wanted to ignore him and step around him to enter the restaurant on her own. But_ we're in this together _and_I like you_ were getting in the way. No matter how strange he was behaving, no matter that his words were still reverberating in the warm spot in her stomach, she _did _like him, and it was that _like_ which made her take a step forward and put her hand on his arm. She sighed as she looked up at him.

"Don't look so smug, bastard." His smile widened briefly before he schooled his face and resisted the urge to kiss her.

"That's my Edward," he murmured silkily and opened the door as her eyes went wide and her hand gripped his arm so hard he knew he was going to have a bruise there.

"_Why you_ _fu_…" She nearly bit her tongue in two as she had to swallow the rest of her outburst as they entered the restaurant foyer.

Victor recognised them as soon as they entered and blinked at their appearance. Last time they had both been in uniform, now he was seeing a very different couple standing there. The utilitarian blue had given way to the tailored lines and smooth planes of a black suit and red dress. Shape had become more defined. They were both slender, the Lieutenant-General a half head taller than his companion. The Lieutenant-General exuded an elegance not quite matched by the blonde at his side. An air of confidence flowed about him that Victor hadn't noticed last time. He wondered how much was due to the blonde on his arm. She was stunning. The gold of her hair against the dark red dress pleased him and her colouring was highlighted by the dark haired man beside her. Despite their linked arms, there was no sense of one hanging off the other. They appeared to balance each other, as he had seen few couples do.

Victor kept his poise as he saw the furious glare the blonde was giving the dark haired man as they moved toward him. He was surprised that the Lieutenant-General appeared unaffected by it. Even more surprising to him was that despite the glare that normally would have signalled a deep discord in a couple, these two moved in unison. There was no underlying animosity between them, and given that Victor had heard several stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist's behaviour from years ago since their last visit, he was rather relieved, for both his restaurant and the other patrons already dining. Although looking at her, it was difficult for Victor to remember that she had been, and still was, the Fullmetal Alchemist. It was even harder to consider that she had been male. Victor smiled at them both warmly.

"Good evening Lieutenant-General, thank you choosing to dine with us again." He said with a small bow.

"Good evening Victor." Roy replied, leading Edward across the foyer with measured steps as he felt her trying to restrain herself.

"Hello Victor." Edward said, giving Mustang one last glare and the maitre d' bowed again.

"Good evening Lieutenant-Colonel." Roy felt Edward's fingers relax on his arm and his lips twitched as Edward took a deep breath.

"Thank you," she said, relaxing and catching the slight gleam in Victor's eye. He recalled her attitude to the socially correct forms of address and had decided to use her military rank to not add to her already obvious irritation. Victor smiled at them both as he turned away.

"Allow me to escort you to your table."

Roy watched it happen as they entered the restaurant. Heads turned and he could see them look at him and then at Edward. Conversations dipped and then renewed as they went past. He kept his arm linked with hers and kept her close as they wove their way through the tables. He had meant every word he had spoken outside. He made it quite clear that she was with him. Victor showed them to a small table and Roy waited until Edward had been seated before he sat down. He watched as she opened her menu straight away and began to read it.

"It's bad enough every one else doing it without you doing it as well, bastard." Roy blinked as Edward spoke quietly. "Stop fucking staring." There was an uneasy edge to her voice.

"Give them a few minutes and they'll find someone else to stare at."

"I hope so." Edward looked over the top of the menu at him.

"It won't always be like this, Edward."

"Really? How do you know that? Why are they even staring in the first place?"

_Because you look lovely_ Roy would have replied to any other woman. But not this one. Not to Edward, and especially not to an Edward who was already unsettled by the attention her looks were garnering.

"It's probably me they are staring at." He said casually and her eyebrow rose, a sceptical expression on her face.

"You're not the one in a dress here, Mustang." Edward pointed out.

"No," he replied. "But I'm the one with the eye patch." And he saw her eyes widen. It was interesting he thought, as he watched her focus on the patch as if suddenly wondering where it had come from. She never saw his scars, only her own. Then he blinked as he realised just exactly what he had done. He _never _mentioned his scars, he always avoided having attention drawn to it and he had never used it as a means to divert a blonde from realising that she was indeed the centre of attention. It had been in a restaurant four years ago when he had had it driven home to him that his scars had become something more than mark of failure. When he had learned that they were ugly even when concealed by a patch.

"You show pony." Edward retorted. Her eyes were fixed on his face and he could see her disbelief clearly. Only Edward would ignore everything about his scars and accuse him of using them to seek attention. And yet he knew she was well aware of what they meant to him. She sighed and her eyes flickered around the room before looking at him again. "It's a nice try and almost true. But they're still looking."

"Have you considered that it is _us_ they are looking at?" he asked. "Most people do still recognise me. It's only natural they would look to see who was with me." He paused for a moment. "They don't know who you are, Edward. Unless you stood on the table and shouted it out, they're not going to know."

"Now that makes me feel so much better." The words were laced with sarcasm. "But there's no way I'd start telling anyone I was here with you. It's bad enough as it is."

Roy smiled. Typical Edward. They both knew very well that by tomorrow night Al would know and he would have told Winry, which would mean everyone else would know. But Edward had always had a strange relationship with denial. Roy thought it came from her propensity to speak first and then think and die afterwards. Not that he would ever complain about that trait of hers, not after it had caused her to blurt out that she liked him.

"I never want to do this again."

Roy stared at her for a long moment and wondered if he had thought too soon. "That's an unrealistic thing to say."

"I know." Edward sighed. "Between the Fuhrer and you, I know I don't have a choice." She glared at him and tossed the menu on the table in front of her. "I really hate this shit."

"Me?" Roy watched as she went to lean her elbow on the table and then stopped half way and sat back in her chair. Her voice was casual, this was no rant that he could sense. But there was enough depth in her voice to tell him that she was being serious.

"Yes, you." Golden eyes focused on him. "Doing all of this because I'm supposed to, because it's a duty is one thing, but tonight there is no reason for us to do this."

Roy held himself still for a moment. "You could have declined my invitation." He managed to say calmly.

"What invitation? You said we were going to dinner. You didn't ask."

"Actually I did ask. This is the dinner we should have had last night."

"I think I would have preferred a table at the pub," Ed muttered and Roy took a deep breath. He looked at the blonde and was reminded again that the outside did not equal the inside.

"Edward…" Roy stopped as Victor returned to take their order.

Edward ordered the steak in a firm voice and Roy nodded agreement with that. He ordered a wine while Edward said she was happy with the water. His eyebrow rose when Edward declined the dessert menu, opting to wait and see if she wanted coffee afterwards. The moment Victor had left, Edward looked at him.

"Promise me you're not going to do this again." Edward said in a quiet voice.

"Do what exactly, Edward? Take you out to dinner?"

"Yes."

Roy blinked. "I can't promise that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'd like to have dinner with you again." He stated calmly and then added in an extremely polite voice. "Are you saying you don't want to have dinner with me?"

Ed frowned and scrunched her nose up. She stared at him, seeing a small twitch at the corner of his eye and wondering why he was getting bent out of shape. He knew how she felt about going out like this, surely he understood that. And it wasn't that she didn't want to have dinner with him, it was everything that went along with it that she didn't want. None of this dressing up, this feeling of being on display and no more of that strange, uneasy look he had had in his eye earlier. She wanted to go back to the atmosphere of lunch today, or even to that first dinner they had shared. She was just starting to accept he liked her and now it felt uncomfortable again. Her frown deepened. How did she even begin to say any of this? This wasn't something she could just rant out like she usually did and this was not the place for anything like that anyway. Damn, this was all so complicated.

"Edward?" Roy interrupted her lengthening silence and she sighed, throwing her hands in the air in her self-annoyance. The sudden widening of Roy's eye and the startled intake of breath behind her had her turning quickly to see a young waiter trying to control the wavering tray, with their drinks on it, in his hands.

"Shit," Edward said and quickly snagged the wobbling bottle from the tray, lightening the weight and the waiter managed to tighten his grip on the tray. "Damn, sorry about that."

"Not at all, Madam, my apologies for not reacting sooner." The waiter apologised in return, blinking as the lovely blonde held the bottle out to him. He accepted the bottle and moved around her chair to place it on their table, before removing the glass of water that had managed to remain on the silver tray. He put the glass in front of her just as Victor came over.

Roy watched with a small smile as Edward assured Victor it was all her fault that "…Thomas, was it?" had nearly dropped his tray and that there really was no need for "…you to worry about it, everything's fine" and "how long was that steak going to take anyway?" By the time it was sorted out, the wine was in an ice bucket beside their table, Thomas had gone to check on their steaks and Victor had poured Roy's wine with a small grin he wiped clean before he turned back to his duties.

"If you didn't want to answer the question, you should have just said so, Edward." Roy took a sip of his wine and looked at her as she almost growled at him.

"I was going to answer it."

"When?" His eyebrow rose in a querying gesture, a small smirk playing around his lips.

"Stop that." Her eyes narrowed as she saw it. "This might be fun for you, but I am not enjoying this." His face went into Ice General mode and she put her elbows on the table as she recognised it. Her head went forward into her hands and she pulled at her bangs before straightening up with a deep breath.

"I don't like all this dressing up. I don't like all the confusion that goes with having to dress up. This is the second night in a row I've had to wear a fucking dress!" Edward managed to keep her voice low as she stared across at him. "Maybe you ought to wear one next time so you'll understand just how uncomfortable I feel. I'm tired of being female Edward, Roy. I want to go back to being me again. It's like last night when I had to be someone I'm not, just because this is the way I look."

"You didn't seem to be acting too hard last night," Roy pointed out. He had lost a bit of his coldness as she spoke. The shock that had frozen him as she had said she wasn't enjoying this on top of her saying she never wanted to go to dinner again had probably saved the restaurant and the blonde sitting at the table from a fiery demise. As she spoke he was reminded of the time he had caught the tail end of her outburst at Gracia's house, just before he had begun to teach her to dance. She had a similar frustrated sound to her voice.

"I've had a lot of practise," Edward replied. "And it was just for one night and having the asshole there to snap at helped. I didn't even have to think about what to say after the first couple of times. But it was still being someone else. They're not seeing me, they're seeing someone else."

"It's still you, Edward." Roy said slowly. "Even when you think it's not. It's you putting up the façade, pretending to be what they expect to you to be. You make a conscious decision to fit into their perceptions."

"There's nothing else I can do." The golden eyes stayed fixed on his. "This is how I'm going to be seen, any time I go out like this. No matter what the reason, it will always be this way. I am trying to accept that, but having to do this two nights in a row is just a bit too much."

"There's no-one else but me here tonight, Edward. You don't have to pretend to be anything other than you with me."

Edward sighed. "We're not at Gracia's any more, Roy. Or even at the office. We're out in the open here. They might not know it's _me_ here, but I still have to meet certain standards of behaviour. Even if I wasn't female I'd have to behave certain ways. My problem is that being female seems to have a whole different range of standards. I don't know what they are. I have to pretend I know what I'm doing, I have to pretend that this is _normal_."

"Edward, I don't care if how you behave is not how other women behave. It doesn't matter to me or to the others."

"It does matter. It matters to the Fuhrer …" she took a deep breath. "It matters to you."

Roy blinked at the almost embarrassed look that went across her face as she spoke and he leant forward to ask her about it when he was interrupted by their dinner arriving.

The appetising smells arising from the plate in front of her made Edward almost forget what she was saying. She wasn't sure if she was grateful or not for the interruption. It was giving her extra time to consider what she wanted to say but it also gave her time to start thinking all over again. It made her aware of where she was again. Talking to him had kept her focused and now it was broken.

"I don't know why you would say it matters to me. I've told you before it doesn't." Roy began as he watched her begin on her steak. "But you will have to explain why the Fuhrer matters. Does this have anything to do with what you said this afternoon?"

"Yeah." She looked up at him. "The asshole told me about the liaison thing, and then the Fuhrer said I'd have to go to more functions like last night. And he also mentioned sending me on inspection tours as well." She looked down at her plate to cut another piece from her steak and missed his eye widening. "He's going to use me any way he can basically, for whatever vision he's got for the future." She looked up and pointed her steak-laden fork at him. "I think you and Kinase are part of it too."

He stared as she calmly put the steak in her mouth and began to chew. He already knew the Fuhrer had plans to use him. He had already told him, but nothing had been said about Edward being involved. It worried Roy. Just how would Edward be used? A liaison only? It sounded innocuous but Roy knew that nothing in the Military was ever as simple as it sounded. And Edward was surprisingly calm about it. He well remembered how much Edward had hated being used when he was younger. It was her gender she was resenting now, not the being used. He was aware of just how much she had matured, although he wondered if Edward would have agreed to any of this had she still been male.

"Do you know what the liaison position will entail?" He asked.

"The asshole mentioned weekly meetings." Edward said before she ate the next mouthful.

Roy took a deep breath. Edward, _his_ Edward, was going to have to be with that asshole on a weekly basis? And other civic functions? Well, Roy knew that if she had to attend one of those he was going to be there too. He wasn't sure what he could do about the meetings. Yet.

"You're going to accept the position?"

"I don't have a choice. Even though I told him I'd quit first, it's not really something I can do. I've just re-enlisted, I have nearly a year before I can get out of it. And even if I did ask to be discharged, somehow I can't see the Fuhrer agreeing. Not after talking me into re-enlisting in the first place."

"I agree." Roy nodded. "Just how did he manage to do that anyway?" He added and her eyes widened before she looked down at her plate. There was no way she could tell him what the Fuhrer had told her at lunch that day.

"He dared me," she mumbled and his eyebrow rose.

"He dared you to re-enlist?" He sat back and his lips twitched.

"Don't you dare laugh, bastard." Her eyes flicked up and she hissed at him. He shook his head and swallowed the laughter that was still close to escaping.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He responded and her head lifted to stare at him.

"Liar."

He grinned at her and she reluctantly smiled back. He liked seeing her smile. Edward had rarely smiled at him before her return. Edward had smiled at some point to just about everyone else back then but not him, Roy realised. Admitted, many of those smiles had been as fake as his arm and Ed had used them to keep people from realising just how hard things might have been or how hurt he had been feeling. The smiles now were easier and more common, although it was still rare that she smiled at him. Grins and smirks were almost the norm now between them. But she softened differently when she smiled and he wanted to see it more often.

"You might not have a choice in the matter Edward, but if you are really set against it, the Fuhrer would at least listen to you. He would be open to discuss it."

"I know, but he doesn't know I know. The asshole said he'd get into trouble for telling me this now." She looked at her almost empty plate. "I… I can understand why I'm being used like this. I know that being a female alchemist makes me different enough and anything I say and do is going to be noticed. And no doubt the Fuhrer probably has a list of what he wants me to say and do, as well. Logically I know all this, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. The asshole…he doesn't seem to understand that. I've done things I haven't wanted to before. I know how to dissemble enough so people don't know what I'm thinking. I know how people see me, I know all of this, but the minute I say that I'm not happy or not wanting it, I get told to accept it." She looked up at him. "It's almost as if I've died and come back again. Only this time people see me as someone else. I'm not _me_ anymore."

"Died again?" Roy stared at her. "Edward, not all of us believed you died when you disappeared. Al wouldn't let us. Paperwork could resurrect you in a sense, but it's not going to be able to change what you are now. No-one expects you to…" Roy paused as he realised that everyone did expect her to be able to adjust to everything. Her eyebrow quirked at him and he nodded in rueful acknowledgement. "Okay, so they do expect you to be able to adjust and cope with all of this. But Edward, you are coping with it. You're rebuilding the Research department, you're doing what you should do and you're not letting it affect any of your work. You seem to completely forget about it at times, like today at Gracia's. Even with all of this talk of new positions and responsibilities, you won't let it become an issue. Once they get used to you, it will be fine."

"Get used to me?" Edward looked askance at him and he smirked slightly. She nearly smirked in return, glad he had misconstrued her 'died again' remark. She hadn't thought before she had spoken. She hadn't really been thinking at all before speaking for most of the conversation actually. Again she realised how easy it was to talk to him.

"You aren't the easiest person to work with at times, Edward. Meetings aren't held in restaurants or while wearing good clothes. They're held in offices and you'll be in uniform. They aren't going to see a female alchemist, they're going to see a ranked State Alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist, who just happens to be female. They're going to see what I had to put up with for four years." His smirk disappeared and his voice went soft. "Don't let them get caught up with your gender, don't _you_ get caught up in it. If you only see the gender, that's all they'll see too. Just be Edward and they won't know what hit them."

A thoughtful expression crossed her face and she remained silent as she finished her steak. He watched the way she moved. Quick economical movements without any of the flourishes she used when she was expressing herself forcefully. He could see she was thinking on what he had said and he let his eye wander. It was still there. A ball of warmth curled up comfortably in his lower stomach. Not quite low enough to make things awkward, but a consistent warmth that took advantage of every gap in his thoughts. The light catching in her hair had him wondering how it would look in front of his lit fireplace at home. Her hands moving smoothly from cutlery to glass and back again had him wondering just how it would feel to have those hands running through his hair, or even across his bare skin. The warmth inside him twitched at that thought and sank lower before he could control himself. He shifted in his seat and found Edward looking at him.

"You think I can do that?" She wasn't asking for permission, it was more for confirmation of some point her thoughts had taken her to.

"Yes." He kept his reply short and forced himself to think only of finishing his steak. Which went out the window when Edward licked at her lips to get a bit of sauce caught in the corner of her mouth. He swallowed hard and brought his unruly thoughts under control. As long as they kept talking and he could keep himself focused on their conversation, he would be fine. He hoped.

"Even if I don't like it?"

"Even then. Besides you might find that you enjoy it. A roomful of new people to shout at? What's not to enjoy?"

"Very funny, bastard."

Roy smirked. She always seemed to come back to 'bastard'. But she had used his name earlier. A couple of times she had called him 'Roy' without even blinking or thinking. As if it was perfectly normal and natural for his name to be part of her sentences. He didn't think she had even realised she had said it. Edward's subconscious seemed to work some things out a lot quicker than Edward did. He leant back in his seat and took a sip of his wine. Edward might have started the evening off reluctantly but once she had started talking she had forgotten about their surroundings. He was tempted to ask her about her desire never to go to dinner again but didn't want break the comfortable mood that surrounded them at the moment.

"Roy?" He blinked and saw her hesitant expression.

"Yes?"

"If… when I…" She paused and his eyebrow rose at the difficulty she seemed to be having. He watched her hand tighten on her knife and kept his smile hidden. It was rare to see Edward so unsure of something, especially after they had been speaking so easily. He saw her take a deep breath. "When I have to go to the fucking civil things will you come too?"

His eyebrow rose higher and his fingers tightened around the stem of his glass. He had had this problem with his hearing once before. A perfectly clear remark had become a deafening collection of words that tied his thoughts into a knot. She hadn't run her words together but it had come close. She had slightly pink cheeks. Her shoulders were tensed. She was looking straight at him and her hesitant look was fading and she was starting to lean backwards, away from him, hurt, disappointment in those eyes and he had to stop her from moving away, he had to stop her from thinking he was refusing and … _as if I would let you go to a function without me there._ Somehow he didn't think she'd react favourably to a declaration like that and he nodded and kept his eye on hers as he found his voice.

"Of course." He smiled and resisted the urge to say anything more. He saw her take a deep breath and relax, her shoulders easing and a small smile appearing.

"Good." She nodded in response and hoped her relief wasn't obvious. She hadn't expected him to refuse but she hadn't been sure. And she had worried that he would find something amusing in the mere thought of Edward Elric asking Roy Mustang for anything and especially this after she had all but told him she never wanted to go out again. But it didn't even have appeared to cross his mind and she was grateful for that. If anything he had seemed rather shell-shocked when she had asked him. She wondered if that had been because she had used his name. It hadn't been too hard to say but she didn't think she was going to be making a habit of it just yet. 'Bastard' was still her preferred name for him.

"Would Sir and Madam like to choose a dessert now?" The polite voice of Thomas broke the small silence that had fallen and both looked at him.

"No thanks," Roy replied. "Just the coffee will do for me."

"Same, Thomas. But could I get a whiskey to go with my coffee please?" Edward requested and the young man nodded as he removed their empty plates.

"Certainly Madam."

"A whiskey, Edward?" Roy queried after Thomas had left.

"Yes. I like one sometimes." She leant back in her chair. "Talking too much usually means I need a proper drink. And beer just doesn't cut it."

"I agree with you there. I never knew you drank though."

"I was a bit young when I was here before." Edward laughed slightly. "And drinking was never something I really wanted to do."

"So you started while you were on the other side of that Gate?"

"Yeah." Edward looked at the table and smoothed the cloth with her right hand. "Beer was a large part of the life there. It was hard to get food sometimes, but there was always beer somewhere." Her lips twisted with a reminiscent smile. "We did a lot of research in the beerhalls."

"We?" Roy asked gently, almost coaxing.

"Alfons and me." The smile widened. "Get a few beers into him and he'd start telling the most amazing legends and stories. I always dragged him down to our closest beerhall when he was getting too intense. He couldn't hold his drink very well though and he knew it. So I'd take some of our notes with us and we'd work on them until the beer kicked in and then he'd ignore our research and just sit back and tell those stories." Her hand stopped moving and she blinked, looking up at him, her eyes slightly brighter than normal.

"Alfons." Roy tested the word. "He sounds like a good friend."

"Yes." Her reply was short and another blink cleared the brightness from her eyes.

Their coffees arrived and Edward nursed the whiskey glass between her hands for a moment before taking a small sip. She nodded in appreciation and sipped again.

"You don't talk about those four years."

"No." She took a deep breath, watching the whiskey move in her glass. "I can't go back there."

"It doesn't mean you stop missing the people, the friends you had there." He remarked and she made a small noise.

"I'll always miss them. It's the thought that I am never going to be able to have any contact with them again. I can't even send a letter. I will never know how things go for them. Whatever happens to them, I just won't know about it." She looked across the table at him. "I had to do this when I left here. Knowing I was never going to see Al or anyone ever again. It was a lot harder because Al was my brother. Even knowing it was part of the price of getting his body back, it still didn't make it easy." She took a slightly larger swallow of her drink. "I don't think I could do it a third time."

"No. You're staying here now, Edward. None of us would want you to leave again. Al would be devastated." _So would I_.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere, bastard." She grinned slightly. "You're stuck with me."

_That's all I want. _"Good. I was afraid you were going to renege on doing my paperwork."

She grimaced at him as he grinned at her. Her eyes narrowed for the briefest moment and then she relaxed back with an easy grin. "You realise it's going to have to wait until after I finish with the Research Department, and then there are all those extra duties that seem to be coming my way." She shook her head in mock disappointment, before she carried on. "I just don't know when I'll be able to fit it into my schedule."

"I'm sure Hawkeye and your secretary can arrange a day for this."

"You can't set Hawkeye onto Cal. She'd eat him alive." Ed protested and then she grinned again. "But with you doing my paperwork, I guess Hawkeye'd be agreeable to going easy on the kid."

Roy sat up straight. "I'm not doing your paperwork. You're doing mine. That was the bet."

"I know." Edward smirked. "But someone has to do mine, and seeing as you'll have none of your own to do, you can be useful and do mine."

"No." Roy spoke firmly. "You can do mine and then your own."

"Don't you think you can handle it, Lieutenant-General?" Edward's eyes gleamed over the rim of her glass as she took a sip.

"That's not going to work on me, Edward. Your paperwork, you do it." Roy smirked even as his mind got distracted by her eyes. They had deepened to match the whiskey in her glass. And then his mind got distracted further when she lifted the glass for the final mouthful and his eye watched her swallow and followed the lines of her throat to the modest v-neck of her dress. She put her glass down and the material shifted slightly, pale golden skin catching the light. With barely a hint of cleavage, with absolutely no attempt at seduction…_I bet she doesn't even know the word, wait, why am I thinking like that? This is Edward, she doesn't seduce people _… Roy found himself considering doing her paperwork so long as they were in the same office. He blinked. _When did I become such a pushover? She hasn't even started with the usual tricks and insults, and I'm already considering giving in? Just how soft and warm would her skin feel?_

"You really are a lazy bastard," Edward commented. "Old and lazy."

Roy felt his jaw twitch and he resisted the urge to laugh. Now this was what he expected. This was how Edward worked. Insults and smartass remarks. If he wanted to give in, he had the perfect opportunity right now. Except that Edward wouldn't expect him to cave to the first insult. There was a set rhythm to this, a pattern they always followed. And Roy smirked as he decided to break the rule.

"Okay Edward, I'll do your paperwork while you do mine. Next Friday in my office."

Edward stared at him, her eyes wide. The bastard never gave in this easily. He rarely gave in at all. _What is he playing at?_ she thought as her eyes narrowed.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. You bring your paperwork to my office on Friday, and mine will be waiting for you. I'll even have a desk ready for you."

Edward kept staring at him suspiciously and he kept his smirk there. He had no intention of saying anything more. Let her think and wonder about it. If nothing else, it was going to keep her thinking about him all week. And come Friday, he was going to have so much paperwork for her to do she was going to be there all day and into the evening. Yes, Friday was going to be a good day. Although the slow smirk that was beginning to appear on her face reminded him that it was Edward he was dealing with here, and that she was capable of upsetting any and every plan he had.

"I'll tell Cal and Terlat." She said calmly. Too calmly and he knew that she had thought of something to make him regret this.

"I'll let Hawkeye know." He replied equally calmly and they both smirked at each other.

They went quiet. Edward drank her coffee and Roy watched her. When he kissed her good night, was she going to taste of coffee and whiskey? His mind wobbled slightly. Was he even going to be able to kiss her good night without wanting more this time? He didn't think Edward wouldn't understand it if he suddenly began to run his hands all over her. In fact he was sure of that one. She'd be touching him right back with her fist and he'd been there, done that one already. He had no wish to repeat that experience. But he couldn't imagine not kissing her goodnight. He wondered if she was expecting it or not. She hadn't objected so far, she even seemed to like his kisses, but she hadn't said anything either for or against them.

He was still wondering what she thought and what he should do when he saw her hide a yawn behind a gloved hand.

"Ready to go, Edward?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes."

Roy looked and caught Victor's eye and nodded slightly. Edward looked around as well. There were still people here, talking and eating. No-one was looking at them and she watched as the waiters slipped between the tables easily.

"It's a nice place, this." Edward murmured half to herself.

"Yes it is." He reached over and lifted her left hand. "Nothing you can't handle." He smiled as she looked at him, her eyes shifting from their linked hands to his eye. A wry grimace crossed her face as she realised she had made too much of a fuss over it at the start of the evening.

"That doesn't mean I want to do this again," she said, unwilling to admit that she might have been a bit hasty, and his fingers tightened on hers as a smirk appeared. "Do not say it."

"Say what, Edward?" His smirk widened and then he let her hand go as Victor came close and placed a small silver tray on the table.

Edward barely listened as they exchanged quiet words regarding the cost of the evening and stared at her left hand. His hand had been warm and his grip firm. She had never seen Roy Mustang as a person who easily touched other people, but he never seemed to hesitate before he reached for her hand or her arm. And he certainly got close enough when he kissed her. Would he kiss her tonight? It was hard to figure out exactly how she felt about kissing him. It didn't feel bad. It felt the opposite of bad. And because it felt good, she could never find the urge to protest at being kissed by another man. Which made her wonder if that was good or bad. And that would keep her awake so she could analyse every shred of sensation from his kiss and try to find an answer. Kissing him back didn't help her to understand it. She liked it, she liked him. _If I didn't like him, I wouldn't like him kissing me. _

"Edward?" She blinked and saw his hand in front of her face. He was standing beside her and she looked up.

"Time to go."

"Oh okay." She blinked again, accepting his hand without thinking and stood up. His fingers laced through hers and he led her through the tables to the foyer. Several people watched them leave, but Edward didn't feel the weight of the looks this time and she didn't think Roy saw them at all.

She waved to Victor as they left and he smiled back. She missed the wink that passed between Roy and Victor as he guided her out the door and into the cool evening. She took a deep breath and smiled. It felt good to be out of there. Roy's grip on her hand kept her at his side as they walked to the car and he only let go of her hand once he had unlocked and opened her door.

It was as quiet on the way back to the dorms as it had been on the way to the restaurant.

It had been a good night really, Edward thought. _I still don't know if it was a date or not, but it didn't turn out too badly. The food was good. I think I talked too much but the damned bastard makes it so easy. Why is that? Back then I wouldn't even have told him the time and now I'm talking about Alfons? And he is treating me differently too at times. He talks back to me properly and we only go back into the insults afterwards. Is that because we like each other? This liking thing gets into everything, doesn't it? Where does it stop? Does it ever stop? What happens now? What do I do if he wants to kiss me again? What if he doesn't? Well hell of course he will, he likes me, right?_

Roy concentrated on the road. He had to force himself to keep his eye on the road again. Just like he had to force himself to concentrate on the mechanics of driving. He wasn't sure how many times it made now that he had misjudged a gear change because his sensible side was trying to convince him not to kiss Edward good night because he wouldn't be able to control himself, and his lusting side was agreeing with him but telling him to do it anyway.

It had been a good night, Roy thought. _Not quite the date I wanted, but a good night nonetheless. I doubt we'll ever have a proper date. Somehow Edward just doesn't seem to fit that image. She's never going to fit into any image but her own. Tonight showed me that. And others have seen it too. I wonder just what the Fuhrer has in mind for her. He must be aware that where Edward goes, I'll be going too. How involved is Kinase as well? He's close to Sterben and he's already told Edward something he shouldn't. Will he tell her more? Just what does this liaison position entail exactly? Stop it, I m not jealous. Edward doesn't like him, she's made that abundantly clear. There's nothing to worry about. I trust her. But I don't trust him. Stop that! Are you going to kiss her goodnight? And stop that as well!_

When Roy stopped the car in front of the dorms, they both froze slightly and it felt like a long time before Roy could remove his hands from the steering wheel and turn to look at her. She was staring straight ahead and her hands were slightly tensed in her lap.

"It was a good night." He spoke softly and he moved closer, still unsure of what he was going to do. He absently removed his gloves.

"Yes." Not relaxed but not nervous. She nodded slightly and turned to face him. She was not half-asleep this time. Her eyes were dark in the shadows and he couldn't read her expression but she didn't turn away as he shifted nearer.

"Edward." His breath was warm and her hands tightened as his voice whispered between them. "I need to know you want this too, Edward."

Edward took a deep breath. She hadn't expected this. He was leaving it up to her. He was almost asking permission to kiss her. If she said she didn't want it, he'd stop and she'd get out of the car and spend all night thinking about it. If she said yes, then he'd kiss her and she'd get out of the car and spend all night thinking about it. She liked him, kissing him felt good. _Why am I hesitating?_Because there was a depth to his voice she had never heard before. Because he was radiating a warmth that she could feel._Because I'm not kissing another man, I'm kissing Roy. _Edward blinked. Whether she was male or female, she _liked_ Roy. _Like_ had ignored her gender. _Like_ concentrated everything on Roy. He had always said he saw Edward, and now she understood it better._Because I see Roy._

"Yes." She had to say it out loud. Not a whisper, not a shout, just a single word. One moment of clarity and Roy took it without hesitation. His lips were on hers before his hands reached for her.

Different. It was different. It was hot and it was wet and he was taking every breath from her as his lips tugged at hers, as his tongue circled and twisted with hers. His hands were in her hair and it was loose and he was a heated mass in front of her. Her hands gripped at his jacket as she felt a wave of heat go through her. It was terrifying, it was amazing, it made her want to hit him, it made her want to get closer. Somehow she was breathing, somehow she was kissing him back, somehow she had forgotten her name.

His hands were fisted in her hair, feeling it soft and sleek around his fingers. One hand slid down her back and pulled her closer. Pliable, soft, warm; she was all of that and more. There was a need to take and keep on taking. Whiskey and coffee and Edward, it was all one taste and he wanted more of it. His mouth worked around hers, nipping and kissing as if trying to memorise exactly how every inch of her mouth felt and tasted. It was a heat he had to pass to her, a need he wanted her to feel.

He began to track a line along her jaw, hearing her breathing as ragged and fast as his was. Surely she could hear his heartbeat, or was that hers? It was so loud in his ears. He worked closer to her ear and felt her quivering against him. Small incoherent noises left her lips and her hands twisted tighter in his jacket. And then he mouthed her earlobe.

"_Fuck…"_Her shocked whisper went through him at the same time as they both shivered.

"_Roy…"_ His name in that tone. He wrapped his arms around her as he struggled to regain his control. He was nearly undone as her hands loosened their grip on his jacket and her arms slipped tentatively around him. He resisted the urge to pull her even closer and forced himself to breathe evenly, slowly. He could hear her breathing slowing as his did and felt her trembling even as his own hands felt very shaky.

It was a long time before he felt he could ease back slightly. His hands shifted and slipped back into her hair and he tried to see her eyes in what little light came through the windows.

"Edward?"

Her lips felt swollen, her mind had packed up and gone on holidays and her body felt as if she been on nothing but caffeine for a month. There was a pulsing in her ears and she barely heard his tentative whisper. It was that hesitant sound that had her look at him. She could still feel the heat coming from him and his breathing was still as uneven as hers was.

"Roy?"

What to say? Roy didn't know what to say. She was looking at him. She hadn't hit him. He knew he had to leave or he would start kissing her again and he wasn't going to stop until he'd kissed his way down her throat and over that golden skin and …_not now, Roy, you can't think of that now._ He took a deep breath but Edward spoke first.

"Are you ok?"

Roy blinked and felt that he should be asking that of her.

"Yes," he replied as she looked at him. Her eyes still seemed so dark, shadows concealing the golden light, but there was nothing in her voice but concern. He felt awkward. He hadn't felt like this since he'd been a teenager. He almost felt he should be apologising for having been so close to losing control. A kiss, it was supposed to have been nothing more than a kiss.

"I should go now." Edward spoke again and he wondered how it was she could formulate sentences and he couldn't.

"Yes." He reluctantly took his hands out of her hair and let his fingers trail along the side of her face. He felt her arms let go of him and she shifted back on the seat. There was a small pause before she opened her door.

"Good night."

"Night, Edward."

He watched her leave the car and walk into the building, her hair loose and her back straight. The minute the doors closed behind her, he groaned and nearly fell back along the seat. _Idiot, Roy, you idiot! Good God, how are you going to face her on Monday? Oh Lord, I want her._

It took him ten minutes before he could start the car and drive home. He was half way there before he realised that he had seen his rose in her hand as she had entered the building.

* * *

Edward made it to the stairwell before her knees gave way and she slid down the wall to sit ungracefully on the floor. Obviously there were kisses and then there were _kisses_. And that had been a _kiss._ Her thoughts were still trying to make some sense of it and it wasn't happening. They'd rather remember the feel, the taste, the heat of Roy. She lifted her left hand. It was still shaking, and for the first time since she had returned she wished she had her automail leg back. How was she ever going to walk again with the way her knees felt?

"Roy is one hell of a kisser," she murmured as she looked at the rose. She had taken it from the seat when she had slipped out of the car. _How am I going to be able to work with him now? I'm going to be thinking about this every time I see him. Shit, shit. _

Her hand went up to ear. Now that had been unexpected and down right strange. The bolt of heat that had gone through her just because he had …just because he had sucked it, had startled the hell out of her. It was one thing to feel the heat swirling because he was kissing her but that sudden burst was another thing altogether. Would that happen next time? _Wait, I didn't say anything about a next time. You idiot Edward, of course there will be a next time. You think you can just forget about this and how it felt and not want it again?_

"Oh shut up." Edward snarled at herself as she tried to stand up and had to take her shoes off and hold on tight to the railing before she could take a single step.

* * *

Roy walked into his apartment and straight into a cold shower. And when he woke up the next morning he went straight into another cold shower. He wasn't sure if kissing Edward last night had been the best or the worst move he had ever made. Several of his dreams had almost convinced him that it had been a good move. The physical discomfort those same dreams had engendered made him think that he might have been a bit rash to have moved so fast. As he left his apartment a bit later he knew that, good or bad, he didn't regret it.

And an hour later found him sitting, leaning against a marble slab with a hot coffee in his gloved hands and telling Maes exactly that.

"Your wife and daughter are as bad as you. What did you teach them? Gracia actually lied to me. She manipulated me, and your daughter's already planning my wedding. You would be so proud of them, you conniving bastard." He stared at his coffee. "This isn't quite what you had planned for me, old friend. It's not what I had planned for me either." He snorted softly. "You don't make plans with an Elric around. I wish you could see her. I reckon she'd get the better of you this time around.

"Barely three days, Maes, since she said she liked me. Since I first kissed her. It was like the first time I made the flames appear. Exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. I never regretted learning to control this." He snapped and a small flame danced in the air briefly before it vanished. "I've despised myself for what I've done with it and I have hated myself for using it, but I've never regretted learning it.

"I don't regret kissing her. I'll never regret that and God knows I intend to keep on doing it. And last night, Maes, last night…I've never felt that before, that sudden wanting. It's as if someone snapped their fingers and I was the flame. Edward's not ready to follow me there. Hell, even I'm not ready to go there yet." Roy looked up at the sky. "I never thought I'd ever feel like this again. But it's not the same as what it used to be, _I'm_ not the same anymore. I'm the scarred one now. I know she has scars, I know she's been through Hell more than once. How did she get past that? How will I?" His eye flickered and he swallowed, his voice a thin whisper.

"Maes, I'm scared."

* * *

Edward woke up with gritty eyes and didn't feel as if she had slept at all. The bastard had somehow found his way into her dreams and she had spent most her time trying to get him out of them. She stared up at the ceiling.

Three days since she had first told him she liked him. Two and a half if she wanted to be picky but it felt like longer than that. Probably because every time she turned around he had been there and yesterday she'd spent virtually the whole day in his company. She was almost relieved that she wasn't going to see him today. Almost.

Today was going to be a perfect Sunday. She could just be herself. No dressing up and no functions or duties. Just her and Al. Sparring and going through the Library. What could be better? No bastard and the confusions he brought with him. She could ignore all of that for the day and worry about it tomorrow. She'd always been able to ignore things before and she didn't think this would be much different. She'd done it yesterday by working on the array calculations, she could do it again. She'd just think of alchemy, she'd make a list of all she wanted to check in the library and she wouldn't think about him at all.

And it worked. For nearly three whole minutes. Until she got out of bed and walked into the other room. The first thing she saw was the rose he had given her, sitting in the cup on the table where she had put it last night.

* * *

"Hey Al."

Al looked up as Ed came out of the dorms. In jeans and long sleeved shirt with her hair braided, she looked very relaxed, but he knew her better than anyone else and he could see the faint shadows under her eyes. He also knew not to ask about them. She'd only deny there was anything wrong.

"Hey Sis."

"You ready to get beaten?" Ed grinned at him and he grinned back.

"In your dreams." Al retorted and they began to walk through the compound to the gym.

"Are you still okay for going to the Library after this?" Ed asked.

"Yes. Winry and Gracia are talking about wedding dresses and things."

"Ugh. Rather them than me. We'll have the day to ourselves then."

"Yes. I think Winry was going to invite you, but Gracia managed to talk her out of it."

"Remind me to do something real nice for Gracia." Ed looked at her brother. "No offense Al, but there's no way I'm going to get involved in your wedding."

"What about your own?" Al asked as they entered the gym.

"Mine? I'm not getting married." She stared at him for a moment and then she scowled as a small grin appeared on his face. "Don't you start. It was bad enough with Elysia saying that."

He laughed and followed her through to her usual spot. There weren't many people around and Ed waved to the few that looked up as they entered. She stretched and moved out onto the floor. Al followed.

"I hope you've been practising Brother."

"Oh I've been keeping fit, Sis."

They circled each other and Ed was the first to move, jumping smoothly forward and feinting with her right as her left arm pushed forward. Al blocked and stepped close, giving her no room to swing her leg. He struck out with his elbow and she dropped to avoid it and swept her leg around to try and trip him. He began to fall and she grinned as she slipped out of the reach of his outflung arm.

They moved smoothly and as the match went on, the others stopped and watched. They had all seen Edward work out. Some had even worked out with her. Ever since she had beaten Captain Stewart there really hadn't been anyone who came close to her skill level. But the dark blond young man she was sparring with now was as good as, if not better than she was. They had never seen her move as she did now. She had to work for every hit she landed, and she was resorting to all sorts of acrobatics to avoid his kicks and hits.

For an hour Ed lost herself in the flowing movements of sparring. She rarely used her right to strike, keeping it for defensive movements. Al wasn't metal anymore and she didn't want to hurt him accidentally. When she did use it, Al had to move extra quick or suffer the consequences.

It was a silent exchange when they both suddenly nodded and began to slow down, slipping into the training routines Teacher had spent months instilling into them and they had spent years using. Edward's eyes half-closed and she moved from memory alone. Al followed her and they finished the last few movements with their eyes completely closed.

It was almost a shock when she stopped moving and she opened her eyes to smile at her brother. He smiled at her and they stretched and began to calculate who had the most bruises this time.

"Better than last time." Al said as he prodded a sore spot in his lower back.

"No black eyes." She grinned at him and then winced as her left thigh pulled slightly.

"About even I think." Al remarked and she nodded.

"You want to grab a quick bite at the mess hall before the Library?"

"Sounds good."

"Yep." Ed clapped and touched the floor, caging her brother. "Last one there has to buy dinner." She grinned at him and took off running.

"You're cheating again!" he shouted after her.

"I know!" She shouted back over her shoulder and he heard her laughing as she went through the doors. Al always had chalk with him and drew a quick circle to free himself before he began to chase after her.

The soldiers left behind started laughing and had more than enough gossip to share later.

* * *

Roy watched the clouds. They moved across the sky on winds he couldn't feel. The alchemist in him was tempted to test the air, to rearrange the molecules and see how high he could send the flames. Would he be able to reach those unseen winds? He smiled slightly. If Edward was here, she'd be daring him to do just that. Given her innate curiousity, she'd probably have him lighting up the whole area to answer every question she'd throw at him.

"It's going so fast in my head, Maes. How do I slow this down and remain sane?" He sighed and looked at his empty cup. "It's as if I have to catch her, to claim her as mine. And I have to do it before she disappears. Before anyone else does. I don't know what's worse. Me being this insecure, or me being jealous. I think I need you to hit some sense into me again, old friend.

"I can hear you gloating. But this is Edward we're talking about here. I have no idea what will happen, I haven't known that since she returned. I don't think even you would predict where this will go. Although that wouldn't stop you from making my life a merry hell. You never did know when to quit." Roy smiled. "I won't quit, Maes. I told her that, I'll say the same to you. Wherever it goes, I have to follow it."

* * *

Al watched Ed as they worked in the Library. Normally Ed was able to concentrate on the task at hand to the sole exclusion of everything else. But not today. Today she would often pause as she pulled down another book. She smiled at nothing he could see every now and again. Frowns flitted across her face at random moments.

Al grinned as she opened a book she had already looked at and waited for her to realise it. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the majority of her thoughts were, although she was doing a credible job at appearing to be studying.

"Are you seeing the Lieutenant-General today?"

"No." Ed replied absently as she flicked through the book. It looked familiar…_ didn't I just see this one? _She put it down and picked up another one. _This looks better and …wait, the General? Roy?_ Ed looked up and saw Al grinning at her. She thought back. "Dammit Al, I've told you not to do that!"

He laughed and she scowled at him. "You're thinking about him, so I wondered."

"I am not thinking about him!" Ed denied promptly and untruthfully and they both knew it.

"Edward, you don't have to hide it from me." Al stopped laughing and looked at her.

"I know Al. It's just hard to talk about." Ed tugged at her braid.

"I'm not as upset as I was, Sis. The shock's worn off." Al studied her. "I watched you yesterday. You really do like him and he likes you." He blinked. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Try being in the middle of it. I can't believe it either." Ed sighed and leant forward, elbows on the table and her chin on the back of her hands.

"It's not a bad thing, Sis." Al said hesitantly.

"No. It's a confusing thing." She grimaced slightly.

"To me as well." Al replied. "I mean we grew up with him and now you're dating him?"

"Dating? Who said we were dating?" Edward glared at him.

Al blinked. "Ed, you had lunch with him yesterday, you like each other. You even said you had dinner plans. Ed, you've kissed him. You are dating."

Ed stared at her brother, eyes wide and her lips parted. Her little brother had just said all that? How did he know all of this? Where had he learnt this from? How was he even saying this in such a calm manner?

"Roy and I aren't dating. That can't be right."

"Roy?" Al queried with a gentle smile.

"It's his name." She retorted. "Dating is flowers and going out and mushy frills and crap."

"And dating is being with someone you like, whether it's for lunch, or just at a friend's place. It's going with them to stupid civic functions just because they're going to be there. It's thinking of all those things when you're supposed to be looking for Dad's books." Al watched as her eyes went wider. "Face it Sis, you are dating the Lieutenant-General."

She stared at him for the longest moment. "Shit."

Al looked at his hands and then he looked at her. "I've been thinking about this a lot, and I really don't mind it. It's still strange to think of it, I mean you and him. Together like this, and it's not my place to say otherwise."

"Al, you're my brother." She interrupted him. "Your opinion does matter to me."

"But it's your decision who you like or not. Whether I agree or not, it's still your choice. And I don't mind that it's the Lieutenant-General. He's probably the only one that could put up with you. He's had enough practise at it. I just want you to be happy, Sis."

"And the fact that I was male for twenty years and he is male doesn't bother you?" Ed asked rather blankly as she processed his words.

"Does it bother you?"

"A little bit."

"I don't think it bothers him." Al remarked.

"I think it does." Ed frowned slightly.

"How?" Al asked. "It's not as if he's only just found out about it. Even before you went and let your cat out of its bag, he would've had to have thought about it."

"Funny, Al. I told you I didn't mean to do that." She sighed. "But it matters to him I think. He treats me differently. Like a girl, I guess. I don't know if he realises it or not, but when we go out, his behaviour changes. The stupid bastard changes into some smooth, abnormal thing. He becomes so human it's unnatural."

"It's because he likes you." Al smiled. "Even you were treating him like a normal person yesterday and not the bastard you always call him. Because you like him too."

"Great, now everyone will know."

"You're the one who said she liked him in front of the whole office." Al grinned suddenly. "I'd love to see the bets on this one."

"Bets?" Ed stared at him in horror.

"They did it to me, Sis. You and the Lieutenant-General would be just too good to pass up on. I bet the whole of Headquarters will be betting and watching to see how this goes." Ed appeared struck mute and Al continued with a sly grin. "With a bit of inside information, I could probably make enough to buy you a decent wedding present."

Edward's eyes flickered. "The day I get married is the day you are my bridesmaid, Alphonse Elric!"

* * *

Author's Note: My profuse apologies for the delay in getting this done. So many distractions and hassles and a couple of lazy spells didn't help. But it is here, and it's a bit longer than I had planned it to be. So again, please accept my apologies and enjoy.

I have to thank someone, I have no idea who, who nominated this fic for recognition on the dot.moon site and also to thank whoever seconded it. I am completely overwhelmed by it and all I can do is thank you.

And to the anon reviewer, Danielle, who mentioned her side story. Yes, I have no objection to looking at it, and if you sign in next time, we can message about it.

Apologies once again. I could say it a few more times, but I know you want this to be updated, so I'll shut up now. Grazzi hafna

silken :)

Edited 21/3/08... ffnet seems to have deleted all my break lines in all my fics and I will be going through and editing previous chapters of this and everything else I have here.. Please forgive the delay for future chapters ...

silken :) 


	32. How Not To Start The Week

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 32: How Not To Start The Week  
**

Edward looked at the books on the table and frowned, tugging at her braid.

"What was the old man thinking of?" she asked her brother as he came up with another book.

"I don't know. You spent more time with him than I did."

"Not because I wanted to," Ed complained slightly as she put her hands on her hips and puffed her breath out. "Well, not at first anyway." She surveyed the books and the loose pages beside them. There were at least twenty books there and twice that in loose pages of notes and calculations. "He's got them scattered all over the place. Are you sure we take after him? Neither of us was ever this disorganised."

Al choked and then laughed as Ed glared at him. "You're the messiest person I know, Sis. You organise things by piles."

"I never scattered them everywhere like this, where anyone could find them," Ed protested and Al's eyebrows rose.

"Who handed in the human body composition calculations instead of his math homework that time?"

"Oh shut up Al. I was ten, that was different." Ed waved her hand at the table. "_This_ is different."

"Dad hasn't been haphazard, Sis. So far, all his notes have been in books whose names are anagrams of his name. If anything, I'd say Dad was being a bit too simple minded."

Edward blinked. "Anagrams?" She strode to the table and started looking at the spines of the books. "You are fucking joking me." Her eyes were wide as she looked from one book to the other and then she looked at Al. "You don't have to look so smug, Al."

"Oh I think I do, Sis." Al grinned and Ed glared before she began to smile back at him.

"You're going to bring this up at various occasions for the rest of my life aren't you?"

"Along with all the others." Al nodded and she shook her head at him. Al's eyes gleamed and he added. "Although given this new state of affairs, I probably should just share these moments with the Lieutenant-General."

"You wouldn't!" Ed turned on him, her eyes wide and her hands clenching hard, a fist lifting towards him.

"It has a strange appeal, Sis."

"Alphonse Elric. Do that I will kill you."

"You always say that."

"This time I mean it." Ed threatened and Al started laughing.

"Come on Sis, the Lieutenant-General would love it."

"The bastard manages quite well already, he doesn't need you supplying him with ammunition as well," Ed groused. "And I guess you'd better start calling him Roy or Mustang or something as well. Saying Lieutenant-General all the time is stupid and long-winded."

"I don't know if I could do that." Al spoke slowly and Ed frowned at him, slightly confused. "I'm not the one dating him."

She groaned and Al grinned again. "You're doing this on purpose aren't you?" she accused him and he nodded.

"Yes."

"Being with Winry has affected you and not in a good way. When did you get to be so bratty?"

"It's just something I picked up from you." Al smirked and Ed threw her hands up in the air.

"I was never as bad as you!"

Al picked up a couple of the books. "I'm not empty armour anymore. Just how are you going to steal all of these?"

* * *

When Roy Mustang returned home after spending the better part of the morning talking to Maes, he found himself walking around his apartment at a loss as to what to do. He usually spent his Sunday afternoons reading and he stared now at his bookcases and wondered why he couldn't recall reading half of them.

He ran his hand down the spine of one of the books. _Edward's at the library with Al. I wonder what they're doing there. _He sighed and threw himself into his usual big chair and stared at the shelves. His current bottle of whiskey winked at him. _That's almost the same colour as her eyes were last night. _ He got out of the chair and opened the French door to his small balcony. He leant against the door frame and inhaled as the breeze wafted past. _Roses, I can smell them from the florist over the road. I wonder what Edward did with the rose I gave her last night._

He groaned. Everything he saw or looked at was reminding him of Edward. It was bordering on obsession and it made him feel uncomfortable. Yes he liked her, yes, he _really_ liked her and was even lusting after her, but that didn't explain why everything around him had to have an Edward-thought attached. Maybe he should have something to eat and try to read. And an image of Edward licking at the sauce from her lips last night jumped up as he entered the kitchen and he groaned again.

Maybe he ought to go to the office and do paperwork. He ran his hand through his hair at the thought he was voluntarily seeking out paperwork, but desperate times called for desperate measures. _Paperwork, Edward will be doing my paperwork on Friday._ He swore under his breath. _Get out of my head, Edward!_

* * *

Edward and Al leant against a wall and heard the large Central clock chiming ten. Ed grinned as she looked up at the starry sky and took a deep breath of the soft night air. They had spent the whole day in the library, finding and collecting as many books as they could. Some of the books had been harmless and it had been the loose sheets of paper within them that were more important.

"Just like old times." Her breath puffed out and she looked down at the bag of books at her feet.

"And what if we'd gotten caught?" Al could just make out her eyes gleaming at him as she turned to face him.

"That's what the bastard's for." She straightened up and slung the bag over her shoulder. "There's a blind spot along the west wall, we can get back to the dorms that way."

"Why don't you just go in the front door, Sis?" Al asked. "No-one's going to know you stole these books."

"We _always _snuck back into the dorms, Al. Stop taking all the fun out of this!" Ed groused at him and knew he was grinning at her.

"You can sneak in on your own. I have to get back to Mrs Hughes'."

"You're not going to get transport at this time of night, Al. You can crash on the couch if you want."

"No, Sis, I can't."

"Of course you can." Ed stared at his shape in the darkness.

"Ed, it's a _female_ dorm. You're not supposed to have male visitors…" Al's voice trailed off.

"You're my brother Al. I don't know why you…" Ed suddenly recalled the female sergeant at her door telling her about the protocols regarding male visitors and stopped speaking. Edward was very grateful for the darkness as she felt her face heat. Stupid rules. Hadn't she already decided she wasn't going to have visitors? But Al wasn't a visitor. He was her brother. It was one thing to think about Roy…_and I am not thinking about him_ she thought firmly, when it came to the subject of male visitors, but it was completely different when it came to her brother. The rules shouldn't apply to him.

"Sis?" Al's voice questioned gently and she sighed.

"It's ok, Al. I just forget sometimes. And this is so like old times. I just wanted it to go on for a bit longer."

"Sis, this is because of what I did." The guilty hesitance in her brother's voice had Ed reaching for him and gripping his arm tightly. "If I hadn't made that mistake…"

"Hell no, Al! I thought we'd settled that." She interrupted him and moved to stand in front of him. "Do _not_ tell me you're still blaming yourself for any of this."

His head shook. "No, Sis. You, and Winry, have told me often enough that it wasn't my fault. And I can see that you're well and happy here." Al's free hand rose and he placed it over Ed's. "I guess I just feel like you do. Except I know that if I had been a bit more careful, then you wouldn't be stuck like this."

"You idiot, Al." Ed wrapped her arms around him. "Without you, I'd still be on the other side, and we wouldn't even be able to think about stealing from libraries."

Al groaned, but then his eyes gleamed. "And you wouldn't be dating the Lieutenant-General." Ed growled low in her throat and Al laughed.

They stood silent for a long moment. They both knew Al would always harbour a smidgeon of perceived guilt, just as they both knew Ed still held on to the guilty knowledge that he had put his brother in the armour all those years ago. No matter whatever else changed, there were some things you could just guarantee would always stay the same. And for these two, guilt was one of those things. Nothing would erase it from them, and they knew that, they accepted it and never let it fester. They'd learnt that lesson before. They shared it now as they shared everything else. And they no longer let it control them.

"Are you sure you're ok with me… with the way things are between the bastard and me?" Ed asked lightly, almost teasingly to match Al's comment, but Al could feel the tenseness in Ed.

"I'm fine with it, Sis. I've already said that." He reassured her before his voice dropped slightly into a lower, intent tone. "I think he's the one who should be worried."

"Huh?" Ed blinked. "Wait, you're not saying you'd…?" She nearly choked as she swallowed a bubble of laughter. "You'd threaten him?"

"You're my sister, Ed. Of course I'm going to hurt him if he hurts you." Ed grinned at Al's protectiveness before she shook her head and tapped him lightly on his shoulder.

"Thanks Al, but if anyone's going to hurt the bastard, it will be me."

* * *

When Sergeant Terlat entered the office on Monday morning he was rather surprised to find his Lieutenant-Colonel and her brother already there. Several chairs had been joined together alchemically, judging by their new form, and the ex-Major Elric was stretched along them. The Lieutenant-Colonel had her feet up on her desk and her chair leant back as far as it would go. Both were sound asleep and despite their positions, seemed completely comfortable. Books were scattered around them and the Lieutenant-Colonel had several papers barely held in her lax grasp.

Terlat stood in the doorway and wondered what he should do. To wake them up or not? It was still early. She wasn't supposed to be here for another hour anyway. He began mentally ticking off the regulations. She wasn't sleeping while on duty. She wasn't failing in the execution of an order, or any of her duties. She wasn't operating heavy machinery while drowsy. She wasn't even obstructing anyone else in the course of their duties. The only regulation he could possible come up with was that she wasn't in uniform, but that was negated by the fact she wasn't on duty. And while the ex-Major was now a civilian, he was in the company of a ranked officer while on Military grounds.

He was still pondering the matter when the phone rang and he watched as the still asleep Lieutenant-Colonel reached for the phone and picked it up.

"Elric." A sleep-logged voice spoke and Terlat smiled at the whole automatic and instinctive process.

The next moment Ed jolted upright, her feet leaving the desk as if burnt, her eyes opened wide, her hand holding the phone as far away from her as she could and a curse thrown at her sleeping brother.

"Fuck! Wake up Al! That freak you call a fiancée wants to talk to you!"

Terlat watched as the other Elric blinked himself awake with a leisurely stretch and a half-asleep grin at his wild-eyed sister. A long arm reached out as Ed nearly threw the phone to her brother. He couldn't hide his grin as Ed fell back in her chair once her brother had the phone with a frantic 'tell her my automail is fine' and 'it wasn't my fault.'

He coughed lightly and Edward turned to see him standing there.

"Hey Terlat." She stood up and walked across the room to him after shooting a quick, almost nervous look at her brother. "You're here early."

"So are you Sir."

Ed rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes, well we didn't know where else to go," she mumbled. She looked at the clock. "As soon as Al's finished, I'll go and get changed and be back here. Do you think anyone would object if I asked for a car to drive him home?"

"I'll get Simon to do it, Sir. He's found a centrifuge to replace the one that was here and he needs to collect it."

"Perfect. If he does that on the way, then Al can examine it. Al's good with stuff like that."

"Like what Sis?" Al came up behind them.

"Equipment. If Simon gives you a lift home, you don't mind looking at it on the way, do you?"

"Look at what equipment exactly?"

"A centrifuge. It wouldn't take long."

"Not at all. But can you do that, Sis?"

"Terlat suggested it." Ed grinned at her brother. "And it will get you home quicker to your…lovely fiancée."

"If you hadn't answered, her next call would've been to the Lieutenant-General's office." Ed groaned and Al laughed. "And she says that she expects you to come to dinner tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night? Since when?"

"Since she and Gracia decided to do it, I guess."

"Tell her I'll be there. Terlat'll make sure my schedule stays free." The sergeant nodded as they both looked at him. Ed paused for a moment. "Actually, there's something I need you to do about my schedule," and she grinned.

"Now I know you won't forget." Al smirked slightly and Ed growled at him. The phone rang again and Terlat went to answer it as Ed turned around and began to gather up the books.

"I'll take these with me to my dorm and we can discuss it some more tomorrow," she said as she stacked them back on her desk. "Did you want to spar again this afternoon?"

"Winry's made plans for tonight, so I can't. But we could do it tomorrow before dinner." He handed her the loose papers and she placed them back in the bag they had used last night.

"Works for me." She smiled at him.

"It was a good day yesterday, Sis," he said quietly.

"Yes it was."

"Sir?" Terlat stood in the doorway and they turned around. "That was the Fuhrer's office. You're expected in his office at twelve-thirty."

* * *

Roy Mustang stared at his desk and frowned. Liking Edward had driven him to do things he had never even considered he would do. His desk was clean. His desk was devoid of anything that even resembled paperwork. And it had only just gone twelve.

How was he going to have enough paperwork for Edward to do on Friday if he did it all before then? What was he going to do for the next four days if he had no paperwork to procrastinate over? He leant back in his chair and put his feet up just as Hawkeye appeared in his doorway and frowned at him.

"I believe I gave you enough paperwork to keep you occupied, Sir."

He waved a hand at the files stacked neatly in the tray on the table near the door. "They're all done," and took great enjoyment from the shocked look she couldn't hide as she strode to the table and began flipping through the files. Her eyes remained startled as she found that the files were indeed all done. Even the ones at the bottom that had been sitting on his desk for the last week. She looked at him and he fidgeted slightly under her intent gaze. She hid her smile as a faint line of pink appeared across his cheeks.

"Would you like some more paperwork, Sir?" she asked, keeping her face completely expressionless with a great effort. He must have been in the office all day yesterday to get it all done.

His eyebrow rose, before he suddenly frowned at her. "Of course I don't want more of it, Hawkeye," he grumbled and her smile appeared.

"Perhaps just a bit more to keep you busy," she paused. "And in your own office." She watched his eye flicker to the paper flower on his desk and then an almost sulky expression settled on his face as he looked back at her.

"Your idea of a _bit more_ paperwork probably differs greatly from what I would imagine the same amount to be." He didn't comment on staying in his own office as he watched her leave the room. The woman was too damned perceptive. But if he didn't keep himself busy, he knew he'd be walking to her office and talking her into going to lunch with him. Maybe he could do that anyway, he thought. He could ring and see if she wanted to have lunch somewhere, or even just to the mess hall. Which wasn't his preferred option, but he knew Ed would probably appreciate it after her outburst the other night about having to dress up too often. He wondered if he could invite her to dinner this evening. Somewhere she didn't have to dress up for. Maybe he should ring her.

"And Roy?" Hawkeye's voice had him looking from the phone he had been contemplating to her standing there with an armful of files. Yes, his idea of 'just a bit' of paperwork was about a tenth of what she had there. "Edward is not available at the moment. You can concentrate on your paperwork instead."

He blinked and nearly gaped at her before pulling himself up straight. "I'm sure we're both very busy, Hawkeye." And then as if he couldn't resist he asked, "and how do you know whether Edward is available or not?"

Riza's lips curved. Roy hadn't even asked how she had known he was thinking of Edward. "Terlat sent her schedule over this morning."

Roy blinked again. "Edward's schedule?"

"Yes. You do remember last week when you had us all running everywhere looking for her, don't you?" There was a slight edge to her almost gentle query that had him nearly fidgeting in his chair. "And when you returned, did you or did you not tell her to send her schedule over?"

Roy frowned and thought back. _"If I had known you wanted to be kept aware of my every movement, I would have had my schedule sent to you." _She had smirked at him and he had retaliated. _"Do that next time, Lieutenant-Colonel." _ He almost groaned. "She's doing it on purpose, isn't she?" he asked, knowing Edward would not have let that comment just slip past. He knew she was doing it because being contrary was what she always did when it concerned him, but then he began to smile. She hadn't thought it through. He had only spoken out of his embarrassment from having over-reacted, he hadn't meant it seriously. Now he knew exactly where she was supposed to be.

Hawkeye nodded as she saw him smile. She nearly rolled her eyes. And he thought he was so inscrutable at times. Sometimes he was more transparent than Ed was. She could see the next question forming and answered it before he asked. "She has an appointment with the Fuhrer."

Roy was slightly puzzled. He would have expected such a summons to have been issued later in the week. Edward had said the man had given her a week to sort things out with the Councillor. He wondered why the Fuhrer would call her in this early in the week. Perhaps it was something to do with the Research department. That seemed to be the most obvious reason. He gave himself a mental shake. He was doing it again. He was getting lost in the maze of Edward thoughts that had sent him here yesterday afternoon. He sighed slightly and looked at the files in Hawkeye's arms.

"Give me my damned paperwork."

* * *

Edward left her office feeling rather pleased with herself.

"_How many of these files are due this week?" Ed had asked as Terlat brought in an armful of folders._

"_The top ones, Sir. There are a couple that aren't due until next week, but I think they're pending research projects and they need to be validated. Cal is indexing them."_

"_Ok. From now on, all the ones due next week, put them in a separate pile somewhere. Just give me the ones I need to do this week."_

"_Sir, you can't let them pile up like that. You'll have to work all weekend to get them ready."_

_Ed smirked. "I know."_

There were several folders in that pile now and she couldn't wait until Friday. Roy was going to get a nasty shock and she was going to enjoy every moment of it. She knew that his paperwork was a heavy load, she had seen the volume of files moving around the office, and she was well aware he would make sure there was plenty for her to do. It wouldn't be like the bastard not to do that. She just knew there would be a stack as high as she was waiting on Friday. Which was going to make her paperwork look deceptively innocent. She had looked through the ones she had asked Terlat to separate and she had taken some out but left all the research projects in there. They required someone going through them and verifying the work was possible, feasible and not illegal, then double checking to make sure it hadn't already done it and then to approve it. Four of those files alone could take a day and she had three already.

Her good mood lasted until she walked into the Fuhrer's office and found not only the Fuhrer there, but Councillor Kinase as well. She avoided looking at him as she approached the desk and saluted properly.

"Sir," she said as he acknowledged her salute.

The Fuhrer looked at her and then at Kinase. "You two will have lunch together in my private dining room." He watched Edward's eyes go wide. "And you will do so every day this week until you sort yourselves out." He turned to Edward. "I believe Eric has already told you what I had planned, therefore there is no need for me to be overly polite about this matter. I expect you to work together. I want you two to be able to solve your problems without getting me or anyone else involved. On Friday I will announce Edward as the new Military Liaison to the Council." He stood up and they both straightened up. "Your lunch awaits."

The Fuhrer sat down after the door had closed behind them and smiled. Both had saluted him as they had left, Eric leading the way and a frowning Edward behind him. It had been a long time since Eric had saluted him and the looks on both their faces had been amusing. Eric hadn't been too forthcoming over exactly what had passed between him and Edward, and the Fuhrer knew his friend well enough to realise that Eric was slightly embarrassed about it. Which probably meant Eric had behaved childishly and didn't want anyone else to know about it.

Michael Sterben laughed softly. Putting those two together was going to bring out more than just Eric's not so hidden childish side. The Council had been more than content with the current almost relaxed state of affairs. Edward's advent was going to shake a lot of them out of their safe little world and not just because of her blunt approach. Eric was an astute man despite his frivolous façade, and he was going to have to cope with all the consequences of Edward's appointment. Michael leant back in his chair with a satisfied smile. Life really was worth living some days.

* * *

Eric and Edward sat at opposite ends of the long table and silent staff placed plates in front of them before leaving. They had both seen the guard stationed outside the door as they had entered. The Fuhrer was taking no chances with either of them. And Edward knew that if she tried to use alchemy to escape, the damned asshole would be calling her a coward. Not that she would be _escaping_ as such. It would be more a case of leaving somewhere she really didn't want to be.

At least the food was good, Edward thought as she looked at the plate. It was probably silly of them to sit in silence but Edward didn't know how to start. She wasn't going to apologise for her remark and she didn't think he would either. She would be quite happy if they could just ignore that little spat. It had been childish to say the least. But the thought of having to be this liaison was not something she wanted to do. And he was the most obvious one to take out her discontent on. She didn't know how he felt about it but he hadn't looked too pleased, so it was safe to assume that he wasn't impressed with it either. _But is it because the Fuhrer's making this appointment, or because it's me being appointed?_

Edward didn't know what to think. She knew she wasn't going to be able to escape it. She wasn't getting a choice in the matter. What she was getting was the chance to know who she was going to be working with.

"I still don't like you," she stated abruptly around a mouthful.

"That makes it mutual." His reply was equally abrupt. "You are completely unsuitable for this position."

Edward blinked. That had been blunter than she had anticipated. "Because of my age, my gender or my experience?" she asked straightforwardly.

"All of them." He put his fork down and looked at her. "You're only twenty, you said it yourself that you don't feel comfortable being female and you have no knowledge of the politics between the Military and the Council."

"If they're as close minded as you are, I can see that it will be difficult." Ed snapped back. "I bet you didn't know anything either when you first started. You had to learn, just like I will. And I have seen more than enough to know that age doesn't matter and neither does gender. You're just making up excuses."

"Who was it complaining about how people saw her on Friday?" His retort was quick and she glared at him.

"Who insisted it was something that was almost completely irrelevant and meaningless?"

"Who said I was an ignorant prick?" His hands landed on the table.

"Who said I was a hysterical _girl_?" Her hands slammed down.

"Who threatened me with disembowelment on the dance floor?" His voice rose.

"Who wouldn't stand still and let me do that?" Her voice climbed higher.

"You have a problem with authority figures!" He stood up.

"You _are_ a problem!" She stood up.

"You are completely tactless!"

"You're always childish!"

"I am not!"

"You are!"

"I am not!"

"You're doing it now!" Ed pointed at him.

"I am not!" and he suddenly closed his mouth with an almost audible snap of his teeth and looked at her. His face began to redden as he played their words back in his head.

"You really haven't had much practise at these things have you?" Edward asked with a casual tone and a smirk.

"And you have?" he asked, disgruntled that he had missed the opportunity she had taken.

"Hell yes. The bastard and I have done this for years." She sat down and picked up her discarded cutlery. A small bite had her nose wrinkling at the almost cold taste of the food and she clapped to reheat it.

Eric Kinase sat down as well and stared at the now almost relaxed blonde. He had to admit he felt better for having indulged in their little shouting match. She hadn't backed down he noticed, and she had stopped it at a winning point for her. She had self-control and she didn't appear to be holding any resentment now they had stopped shouting. No matter how much resentment she may have felt for him on Friday, he knew she had not told Michael anything about their argument. She was the type of person who would fight her own battles. He let his breath out. She was just so responsive to his jibing. He didn't dislike her, but their initial meeting had set the tone for every interaction they had had since then. There weren't many people he could stir up like this and even fewer that could or would serve it right back at him.

She insulted him as quickly as he did her and his position as Councillor was completely ignored. He didn't even think she realised exactly what his position was or what it entailed. It was slightly refreshing he realised. Too many tried to cosy up to him because of his position. After the Fuhrer, the Councillor was the second-highest ranked position in the country. And a short, mouthy blonde saw him as an asshole and nothing else.

"And we weren't actually on the dance floor when I threatened to rip your intestines out," Edward pointed out as she concentrated on her lunch.

"It was close enough." Kinase began to eat his lunch. "It's the thought that counts and that's what I used."

"I do that." Ed nodded as she mumbled around a mouthful. She swallowed before adding. "If you had to worry about being accurate every single time, you'd never be able to say anything."

"I agree," he said and they looked at each other. There was a cautious look on Ed's face and he nearly smiled at seeing it. Maybe they would be able to work together. But it was going to take time and Michael hadn't really given them much of that. Kinase frowned.

"Okay Edward, let's be blunt here. Without tearing each other to shreds." He paused briefly for a breath. "Michael has given us no choices here. Whether you like it or not, we're going to be working together, and while I know we're never going to be_ that_ friendly, we can at least work to be civil to each other. Surely you can learn to do that within a week."

"Why is it _me_ that has to learn to be civil? You're just as bad as I am. You're the one that starts it most of the time. I'm not so stupid that I know we can't do this at meetings or where others can see it. I'm not a complete social idiot."

"Well that relieves me somewhat." Kinase said lightly, grinning slightly as the blonde bristled before smirking at him.

"Nice try asshole, but I'm not biting this time."

"Now if you could just do that all the time."

"Not going to happen. I can be civil when I have to be, but I am not going to change who I am just to fit into some position I don't want." Ed leant back in her chair. "I did it on Friday night. Don't expect more than that."

"Friday was a social event. I'm thinking of meetings where every word you say or don't say can make people believe things, or influence them."

"I'm not going to hide behind fancy words, Councillor. If I don't like something I'm damn well going to say so. And anyway I'm only going to be a liaison, it's not like I'm going to be doing much."

"I think we'll need another week to cover what a liaison does."

"Why?" He could hear the suspicion in her voice.

"You're not just there to take messages between Council and Military, Edward. You're there to state and clarify and define the Military's position on any and every issue they can think of. You're there to answer questions, to deliver Michael's edicts. When you're there, you _are_ the Military." He watched her eyes go wide. "Michael comes to most meetings, but you are the one who will do most of the speaking. And when he's not there, you are the one who will be representing him. You are the one they are going to be looking at."

"No-one said it was anything like that." She looked very taken aback and almost scared. Almost he thought as he watched her think further. She was considering his words. The initial startlement and trepidation disappeared and her eyes stared blankly at him as her face gradually took on a determined expression. A slim eyebrow rose. "And you don't think I can do it."

"Honestly, no. I think you're being thrown into the deep end and you can't swim."

Telling Edward Elric that something was probably too difficult for her was Eric Kinase's biggest mistake because golden eyes suddenly focused on him and a steely voice suddenly echoed in his ears.

"Then it's just as well I have you to teach me, isn't it."

* * *

Hawkeye leant back in her chair and let her breath out. Jean looked at her with a sympathetic smile.

"You ok, babe?"

"Yes. But I will be glad when these interviews are finished with." A slender finger poked at the latest files. "Is there no-one that can put up with you lot?" She almost complained and Havoc and Breda grinned at her.

"We can train whoever you choose, Hawkeye." Breda remarked as he looked across.

"But we still need something to start with." She pointed out. "You're not going to be able to do anything with that one that nearly burst into tears, umm, Leary I think her name was."

Havoc and Breda smirked. "We nearly got her, babe."

"That's not the aim of this, Jean!" She scowled at him and he smiled watching her face ease as he almost twinkled at her.

"But seriously, Riz. If they can't cope with us just teasing, they're never going to be able to handle the Boss or the Chief when they get going. Can you imagine how she would have gone if Ed had been here?"

"Could we organise that, do you think?" Breda interjected. "We could sort them all out in one fell swoop if they were all here and Ed came through. Anyone left standing would get the job."

Fuery entered with a smile on his face and they all turned to him. "You've got that 'new gossip' look in your eye," Breda told him, distracted from the glare Hawkeye was about to give him.

"Yes." He smiled wider as he went to his desk.

"Spill it."

Fuery looked at them and lowered his voice. "Well, a certain Lieutenant-General we all know was seen escorting a lovely young blonde to dinner on Saturday night."

"I thought the Chief was just taking Ed home when they left Gracia's." Havoc frowned in thought.

"He didn't say otherwise," Breda remarked, also trying to think back.

"They didn't say anything. They left when we did and nothing was said." Hawkeye said thoughtfully. "We just assumed he was taking Edward home."

Havoc leant back in his chair and looked at Fuery. "What does the gossip say about the Chief's date?"

"No-one seems able to make their minds up yet. She's either an old friend, or he's gotten himself a girlfriend after all these years. Some said she was probably a soldier, others suggested she was the daughter of one. But they all said she was lovely and that they both seemed to be having a good time."

"Ed was going to spend all day with Al yesterday. I wonder if we should ring him and see what he knows," Havoc mused.

"We could always ask…" and Breda pointed over his shoulder at the inner door. The others stared at him.

"Are you insane?" Fuery hissed at him as Hawkeye and Havoc stifled their laughter.

"The Chief has changed a lot, but even I wouldn't go asking him about_ that_." Havoc stated.

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang smirked slightly and made himself more comfortable, his head resting in his hand, elbow propped on his desk as he kept listening. It was something he hadn't anticipated, this sudden acute hearing that seemed to kick in the minute Edward's name was mentioned. He'd never had liking someone suddenly enhance a sense before and it felt rather strange. _But very useful_, he thought as they continued debating whether to ring Al. He half-hoped they would ring, because then he'd find out how Edward had been yesterday. _It's only been a day and half since you last saw her, I'm sure everything is fine. Ring her later if you're so hung up on her that you just want to hear her voice. But I don't have a reason to ring her. I never rang dates afterwards, they always rang me. But Edward's different, she's not going to ring you, so you might as well ring her. You could ask about what the Fuhrer wanted, except then she'd know that you were keeping tabs on her again. Even if she realises she's the one that gave you her schedule, she'll still blame you. Oh shut up._

Roy sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

"Me? Teach you?" Eric Kinase kept his voice level.

"Oh please. This is what the Fuhrer wants. This is why he wants us to sort out our differences. It's not just so we learn to be civil with each other, it's so you can teach me."

Eric frowned. It was what Michael had intended, but Eric didn't think Michael had expected Edward to figure that out so soon. Although Michael hadn't called it teaching, merely labelling it a 'watch over her for a bit' task, Eric had known that it would be more involved than that.

"Would you listen to me if I were to teach you?"

"Probably, it goes along with this whole 'no choice in the matter' arrangement we have here. But at least you look like you'll be an easy teacher. My last one was rather tough." Edward grinned at him and he sighed. _You just wait Michael, you're going to regret this._

"I think you'll find out just how tough I am as we go. You have until tomorrow lunchtime to write out why we need to have alchemists back in Central. You heard the speeches on Friday, you heard all the questions. I want you to write it all out in a report."

"Why? If we all heard them we don't need to be told again."

"Lesson number one. Not everyone listens to speeches and not everyone will ask questions. Not only that, some questions will never get asked. You need to be able to remember what was said. Later you'll have to remember who said it. But I'll go easy on you this first time." He paused. "Another reason for writing it all down is that not everyone was there, so they will need to be told what occurred. Do that by tomorrow and we can go over it and make the changes that will make it suitable to be sent out."

Edward chewed at her bottom lip. This was definitely more than she had bargained for. She had had four years of report critiques to know it wasn't her strongest point. To have to write about something she hadn't really listened to was not going to make this any easier. She groaned. "I hate speeches."

"So do we all. But now you're going to have to learn to listen to them and to give them."

"Are you sure we can't get out of this?"

* * *

Hawkeye appeared in the doorway and surveyed her Commanding Officer. There were three piles of folders on his desk and as she watched Roy shifted a file from one pile to another without opening it.

"What are you doing, Sir?" she asked curiously.

"Sorting out my paperwork, Hawkeye." His reply was calm, as if he did this every day.

"Why are you doing that Sir?" And it had better be a damned good reason too, her voice seemed to say.

"Edward is going to do it." Somehow he kept an urbane and smooth expression on his face as hers darkened.

"Why is Edward going to be doing your paperwork?"

"It's an agreement we came to on Saturday." He paused as her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you could organise for another desk to be set up in here for Edward to work at. I believe we are using her old desk as filing space at the moment."

He watched as she decided whether to ask or not and his eye gleamed slightly the longer she stayed staring at him. He leant forward, propped his chin on his steepled hands.

"Was there something else, Major Hawkeye?"

She went to shake her head automatically before she caught the faint amusement in his voice.

"Actually there was, Sir. Was this arrangement organised over dinner?"

Roy's lips curved slightly. "No Hawkeye, we arranged this just before lunch on Saturday." Her eyes focused sharply on him sensing he wasn't quite telling everything but unable to ask directly. The office was the one place she wouldn't push too far into personal realms. Had they been at Gracia's, or anywhere else but here, Roy had no doubts she would be asking further.

Havoc suddenly appeared behind them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the Fuhrer's office just called and they want you there now, Chief."

* * *

As soon as Roy entered the Fuhrer's office he was given a single sheet of paper. The Fuhrer's voice was terse as he summarised what was on the page.

"This morning there was an incident at South Headquarters. An explosion from an as yet unidentified cause damaged a depot and several machine shops. You're going through the Investigations personnel. Who is competent enough to be sent down there?"

Roy frowned at the page as his mind ran through the files he had been studying over the last week. "There's a First Lieutenant Feld, and possibly Captain Grant. They're both efficient as far as I can tell and can be spared."

Sterben frowned. "There's no-one of higher ranking?"

"No Sir. To be honest Sir, I wouldn't even let General Kiltern go." Roy stated firmly, naming the General nominally in charge of the Investigations Section, and the Fuhrer eyed him sharply before sighing.

"Well in that case I need someone else to go with them to give them authority." He rang the bell on his desk and his secretary appeared. "See if they're finished in the dining room and bring them here, Major if you would. Thank you."

"Yes Sir." She saluted and left as the Fuhrer turned back to Roy.

"I want all information on this. They're adamant that it was not an accident. I want to know if that is true, or whether they're playing 'cover my ass'. It's been over a year since the last skirmishes and I want to know if there is something starting up again or not. I will notify General Sarin that you are to receive any and all information that gets developed. You are to investigate and verify as much as you can from this end and pass it on to me. I will expect daily updates." The door opened and Roy turned to see Edward enter the room with the Councillor behind her. "Edward, have you chosen any candidates for Research yet?"

"There are four for department head and a dozen for actual lab work to choose from so far, Sir." Edward blinked at the abrupt question and shot a quick look at Roy before looking back at the Fuhrer.

"Have any of them worked with Investigations before?"

'No Sir."

"Alright. I want you to go South and pick one of those four to take your place in Research on a trial basis. Mustang can oversee them while you're away."

Edward nearly gaped at the tall man as the words began to sink in. "Go South, Sir?"

"Yes. Mustang, show Edward that page. I want you to escort two Investigations people and I will grant you authority to make sure there is complete access for all areas." Ed was reading the page as he spoke. "You are to ring Mustang if you need anything or if any problems arise." Edward handed the page over to the Councillor and looked at the Fuhrer.

"But I haven't done this sort of thing before either, Sir."

"I know, but you've been out in the field more than most and you can be completely trusted. I want to know who and why and I want steps taken to ensure it doesn't happen again. You are to find out the who and the why, and let us know."

While the Fuhrer was speaking the Councillor went to the phone and was talking low and urgently. Roy looked at the three of them. The Fuhrer, determined and intent, and Edward, slightly confused and wary, but recognising the seriousness of the matter. And the Councillor, his frivolous manner gone and an authoritative note in his voice. Roy was keeping his mind focused and not letting it wander into the realms of wondering just why Edward and the Councillor had been together in the dining room. Now was not the time to think about it, but try telling that to his unruly and surprisingly strong jealous streak.

"Call your staff and get them to notify whoever you want to cover for you, Edward. Mustang, get those two from Investigations moving. I'll have the orders drawn up and you can all meet at the station at…"

"Sixteen hundred hours. I've had word sent out and a military express can leave then. The lines will be cleared to allow it through." Kinase said as he rejoined the conversation.

"Thank you, Eric." He looked at Edward. "Make sure you are at the station before then. Dismissed."

"Yes Sir." She said and almost forgot to salute before leaving the room, giving Roy a bewildered look as she went.

The Fuhrer looked at Roy. "I will have all orders and copies delivered to your office within the hour. Make sure they are given to Edward before she leaves. The copies are to be kept in your office just in case. Organise priority calling with Communications. We'll worry about Research tomorrow. Get Edward and the others out and moving first. The rest we can do before they arrive and it will all be in place, ready for them." Roy nodded his understanding. "Dismissed Mustang." Roy saluted and began to leave the room.

"Oh, and Roy?" The Fuhrer's voice stopped him as he reached the door. "You can send one of your staff as her escort. But it can't be you." Roy's shoulders twitched and he nodded again.

"Thank you Sir," he said without looking back as he left.

"I'll notify the Southern Commissioner and he can offer them help if they need it." Kinase said as he looked at the Fuhrer. "Did you have to add that last bit, Michael?"

"Good." The Fuhrer sat down. "And yes I did. I know he wouldn't have gone, but the temptation was there. Besides, this lets him know that I am aware of his feelings for Edward." Sterben sighed. "This is not the best time for something like this to happen."

"There's never a good time, Michael. You know that, and you don't know yet if it's anything serious or some one too scared to admit they did something wrong. And I thought you were happy that those two were becoming involved?"

"I hope it is someone's stupid mistake. Things have been too quiet for us. If that little internal rebellion in Aerugo starts spilling over into our borders, I want to be very ready for it." He let his breath out. "And as for Mustang and Edward, I can't see any reason to be against their involvement with each other, but they have to understand that it can't be used as either an excuse or a reason when it comes to carrying out their duty. If they start using it as such, then others could use it as well."

"Like you?"

"Like me."

Eric studied the Fuhrer for a long moment before he grinned lop-sidedly. "Look at the bright side of all this. At least Edward and I didn't destroy your dining room."

"And for such a small mercy I am truly thankful," the Fuhrer intoned and Kinase laughed as he heard the sarcastic edge.

* * *

Edward strode into her office and pulled out the four files she had set aside. She chose the first one and gave it to Cal.

"Call this guy and tell him to be here tomorrow morning at eight. He's now temporary head of Research until I return or until he stuffs up. Then let Major Hawkeye know so she can answer any questions he might have." Edward stared at Terlat who was seated at the other desk, and pulled out another list. "See if we can't get some of these assigned here, maybe the first five. I'd like to have some semblance of a proper department just in case."

"Sir?" Terlat queried as Edward frowned, trying to think of what she needed to do. "What's going on?"

"There's been an explosion at South Headquarters and I'm being sent there to baby-sit the Investigation team. There's a train leaving at sixteen hundred that I'll be on. Keep an eye on this new guy and if you think he can't handle it, tell Hawkeye and call the next one in. The Fuhrer knows about it and the bastard…Mustang will back you up." She headed to her desk. "I gotta call Al and then get a case packed. Is there anything else I need?"

"No Sir. I think that covers it all. I'll ring South Headquarters and make sure dormitory and office space is allocated for you. How many will there be?"

"I don't know. The two from Investigations, me. I don't think anyone else is going."

Terlat nodded and Edward picked up the phone, hoping that Al was at Gracia's and hadn't gone out.

* * *

Roy Mustang walked into his office and pointed at Falman. "Go pack a bag, you're on a train at sixteen hundred." He walked to Edward's old desk and sifted quickly through the files stacked there as the office stared at him with startled looks. He dragged out two and gave them to Havoc.

"Ring them and tell them to pack bags as well. They're on the same train as Falman."

"Where am I going, Sir?" Falman asked.

"South Headquarters." He took a deep breath and faced them all. "There's been an incident there and Edward is going to watch over the Investigation pair. Falman, you are to watch over her and make sure there are no problems. We'll organise a scheduled time for calls, but if it's urgent you will ring straight away. Fuery, get a priority line organised. Hawkeye, you can work with that Sergeant of Edward's and keep an eye on her replacement. The orders are that all information comes to us and then to the Fuhrer. Havoc, you and Breda can get something in place and maybe talk with Schieska just in case Investigations decide to get creative and want to get involved."

Everyone let their breath out and began moving as Roy went into his office. He closed the door and leant against it, staring sightlessly across the room. The Fuhrer's parting words echoed in him and he grimaced. If he could've found a valid reason, he would have used it. But the Fuhrer was right. He couldn't go this time and it wasn't as if Edward wasn't going to be able to cope. As the Fuhrer had said, Edward had had more field experience than most of the soldiers around her. Travelling everywhere for four solid years had given her an edge the others didn't have. That pair from Investigations weren't going to know what had hit them, and having to spend two days on the train with her was probably going to scar them for life.

She was going to be gone for an indefinite period. This had no set limit as his inspection trip had had. He didn't know when she was going to return and he frowned. This was not how he had envisioned his week to start. This was not how he had foreseen any week starting. How long would she be gone for? How long before he would see her again? He had to make time to see her before she left. He strode across to his desk and picked up the phone. A quick call had his car organised. He fully intended to take her to the station.

* * *

When Al arrived at his sister's office he could hear her on the phone.

"Colonel, you have been informed of the orders. If you need to question them further, I suggest you ring either Lieutenant-General Mustang, or the Fuhrer."

She rolled her eyes as Al appeared and she waved at him as she listened to whoever was on the phone.

"…it's a temporary assignment Colonel… yes, I do realise you have seniority, but there are others just as senior… yes Colonel, the Fuhrer will be kept abreast of how well you perform and yes you can be replaced should you prove unable to handle the position… no Colonel I am not being a smartass, I'm being blunt … let me put it this way Colonel, if you fuck up I will have your balls on a platter and your head at the Fuhrer's feet within the hour…I'm so glad we got that sorted out… yes Colonel, tomorrow at eight is fine… good day Sir." Ed hung up and then let her breath out.

"You don't like Colonels much do you Sis?" Al grinned as he came over to her.

"They seem to be so damned useless." She grumbled and then smiled. "I guess it goes with the rank."

"So what's all this about you leaving?" He asked. Ed's phone call had been short and sharp. _"Hey Al, they're shipping me out. Someone else blew something up for a change. Come down and see me off."_

"I have to go to South Headquarters for this explosion thing and basically look after a couple of Investigation officers. But there's no telling how long it will be for, Al."

"We were going to go home by the end of the week, so it's not all bad Sis. And you can see us when you're finished there. It's easier to get to Resembool from South than it is from Central. You could call in on the way back."

"I thought of that, and also of calling in to see Sig." They shared a look.

"He'd like that." Ed nodded at Al's surety. "What about the Lieutenant-General?"

"What about him?"

"What does he think of all this?"

"I don't know. We haven't had a chance to talk about it." Ed took a deep breath and looked at her gloved hands. "I'm not sure if I'll get to see him before I leave."

"Of course you will. You've made all your arrangements haven't you?"

"Yes. Well I still have a case to pack."

"So let's do that now and then we'll call by his office. I mean you should say good bye to the others shouldn't you?" Al smiled at her, looking as innocent as he could and she laughed at him.

"You fraud Al. Maybe I should have left you here in my place."

"Oh no, I resigned. I'm not letting you talk me into that." He looked at her. "If I could, I'd come South with you though."

"I know. At least the damage is probably less than the last time South got blown up."

* * *

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric appeared in the doorway of Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang's office at three o'clock and smiled at the chorus of calls and questions she received. She put her case by the door and watched as Hawkeye managed to quieten the others down.

"The orders are here for you to take with you." Hawkeye said once they had begun to behave themselves and Al had entered and found a seat, settling himself on Havoc's desk.

Edward nodded. "I told Terlat to get in touch with you regarding my replacement. And to ring you if he had any problems."

"He's already been in contact and I will be there to meet the Colonel tomorrow morning."

"Good. He sounded a bit uptight but you'll soon straighten him out."

"We've set up communications and they'll be in place by the time you arrive. Falman has all the details of call schedules and numbers."

"Why Falman?"

"He's going with you. " Hawkeye saw Edward's face flush and her eyes narrowed.

"Why is he going with me?"

"The Lieutenant-General told him to."

Ed glared at the closed inner door. "Oh did he indeed," she growled and stomped across to his office and kicking the door open.

"What do you mean by sending Falman, you bastard! Don't you think I can handle this?"

Roy looked up as his door flew open and an irate and bright eyed Edward stormed in. Mismatched hands slammed on his desk. "I do not need a baby sitter! I am perfectly capable of doing this on my own!"

"Edward, he's just there to assist you."

"What assistance?" Her voice soared. "I'm there to watch over the Investigation morons, that doesn't need two of us!"

"And all the paperwork and reports that you need to send to me? How did you think they were going to get done?"

"That's what the others do!"

"No, they don't do every report. There are some that you have to do. And I would expect you to be checking over everything they do as well."

"This is probably just some stupid accident anyway! Why am I even going? What did you do to get me sent there?" She glared at him across his desk.

"Oh no. Don't you start blaming me for this. It was the Fuhrer's decision without any help from me."

"You were there!"

"So were you. Lunch with the Councillor was it?" Roy's eye stared hard at her and she rolled her eyes.

"The Fuhrer's idea, so we'll learn to work together," she replied with a disgruntled edge to her words. She suddenly grinned. "At least now I don't have to do that stupid report."

"What report?"

"He wants a report on the speeches and questions from Friday night. For those who weren't there, and as part of teaching me how to be this damned liaison."

"Teaching you?" Roy's voice dropped and he frowned.

"There's more to that liaison thing than I realised." She sighed as her glare faded.

"If we had more time, we could discuss it, but you have a train to catch." Roy kept his voice level as he watched her anger disappearing. The thought of the Councillor teaching Edward anything got his back up. Despite not wanting her to be going to South Headquarters, he was also paradoxically relieved that she would be out of the Councillor's reach.

Edward looked at her watch. "Al and I will leave now. Hawkeye says the orders are here. We'll grab them and go."

"I've already organised my car. I will give you a lift to the station."

"I don't need..."

"Edward." Roy stood up as he spoke and Edward took a step back as she saw the look on his face. A quick glance showed the door to be open and she straightened her back. She knew that look, but he wasn't possibly going to kiss her now, was he? Not with the door open and everyone out there. Roy Mustang wouldn't do that.

She was going to miss him, she'd already realised that, but she was also looking forward to being on the move again. To not being stuck in an office and to get away from all these plans to make her a liaison. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to go. The only catch was him. She wasn't sure just how much she was going to miss him. She had missed him while he had been on his inspection tour. She fully expected this to be exactly the same sort of feeling. Except that lately, anything that involved him never went the way she expected it. The click of the door closing had her blinking out of her thoughts and finding him walking towards her.

She found herself backed against the desk before she realised it and his bare hand was pulling her hair from its tail. He pulled his fingers forward, her hair looped through them and he brought it to his lips, his eye focused on hers. She swallowed as his fingers, still wrapped with her hair cupped the side of her face.

"I'm going to miss you, Edward."

"I'll miss you too." Her voice was hesitant and she saw him smile as his head bowed closer to hers.

"For five minutes Edward, it is just you and me here saying our goodbyes." It was a gentle touch of his mouth on hers and Edward relaxed as it stayed that way. There was none of the urgency or heat from the other night, it was a warmth that swirled around her. Her eyes closed and her hand came up to rest at his waist. The warmth increased slightly but Roy's lips stayed lightly pressed against hers.

A small frown flickered across her face as he made no further move and she was the one who stepped close, pressing her lips more firmly against his. Her mouth nudged at his and he matched her movements. Lips parted, hers and his at the same moment and at the first feel of his tongue against hers, she almost moaned and her arms slid around him. His other hand came up to cup her face and he took control of the kiss. Now the heat spiralled into her and she let herself be carried away with it. Her hands found a grip at the back of his jacket and she could feel him flush against her, her neck tilted back as he deepened the kiss.

It was easy to lose herself in the feelings he evoked. It was easy to forget everything. Every time, every kiss made it easier. It was as natural as breathing to move when he did, to match her lips with his, to follow his lead. And when his mouth began trailing a heated line along her jaw, it was instinctive to arch her back, her head falling back and grip harder at his jacket. This time there was no jolt when he mouthed around her ear. This time he pulled her jacket away from her neck and began to track down the side of her throat.

Roy leant further as he followed the elegant line of her throat, feeling her pulse beating madly against his lips as mouthed over her warm soft skin. His breathing was rough and it was hard to keep himself under any semblance of control. But he knew they had no time for more than this, he knew she had to go, but he wanted to make sure he left her with something more than just a salute and insult at the station. He closed his mouth over her skin at the junction of neck and shoulder and sucked hard.

He heard her groan of surprise and felt her hands pulling at his jacket. She wasn't denying him so he kept suckling, knowing that it would hurt, knowing that she would feel it for hours afterwards, knowing that he was the one who marked her. He pulled his mouth away to claim hers again, to make sure she would miss this, miss him while she was gone.

"Time to go." The words, accompanied by a knock at the door were muffled and barely broke through their clouded heads, but they both heard them and mutual sighs slipped between them as they reluctantly ended the kiss. Roy shifted and wrapped his arms around her as her head settled against his shoulder.

Neither of them could find words. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye. To stand there, wrapped in shaky arms and to hear ragged breathing, to wait as heartbeats slowed and coherent thought returned was enough. Edward could feel her pulse throbbing where he had latched on and she wondered dazedly why he had done that. It had felt as if all the heat had managed to focus itself there and then spread out in a rush.

Roy pulled away slightly and began to straighten her jacket up, making sure the red mark could not be seen. His fingers worked through her hair again and he had to look on his desk for her hair tie.

"I'll do it," she said shakily as she pulled her hair back and took the proffered tie. He lightly kissed her forehead before stepping back and watching as she tied her hair back. Their eyes met and again words wouldn't come.

"Are you two ready?" Al's voice fell between them and they blinked before turning to face him. He stood in the doorway, an amused look on his face.

Edward nodded and began to walk to the door. Roy pulled his gloves from his pocket and put them on as he followed her out into the other office. His staff didn't say anything but they were all smiling slightly, and Roy was surprised as they all began to follow as well. He stopped and looked at them all.

"Oh come on, Chief. You didn't think you were the only one going to see the Boss off did you?" Havoc drawled and the others nodded.

Edward and Roy exchanged a quick look and matching wry expressions crossed their faces, as well as matching grateful thoughts that their time in his office was not being talked about.

"And here I thought the bastard was the only one wanting to get out of doing paperwork," Ed remarked lightly as she picked her case up.

Hawkeye held up a file. "I have some you can take with you, Edward."

* * *

First Lieutenant Dawson Feld was a tall, thin man of about thirty. He had been in the Military for ten years and been in the Investigations Division for the last three years. He was looking at Captain Reg Grant as the shorter, plumper man looked around again.

"The train leaves in fifteen minutes. I was told we were going to be met." He complained to the air two feet to the left of Feld. Captain Grant was an impatient man. Feld had worked with him before and knew he could get rather tetchy at times.

A grey haired Senior Warrant Officer standing near them lifted an eyebrow, an amused expression on his face as he watched the Captain walk in another circle.

"Something funny, soldier?" The Captain saw the smile and immediately felt irritated by it.

"No Sir." The soldier answered politely and calmly and the Captain frowned. Normally people jumped when he barked at them. The Senior Warrant Officer looked past him and straightened up and the captain followed his gaze.

Lieutenant-General Mustang was immediately recognisable. He was surrounded by several other officers and a civilian and the Captain wiped his face clear as they approached. The grey haired soldier stepped around the Captain and saluted.

"Sir."

"Been waiting long, Falman?" The Lieutenant-General's voice was smooth and casual and the Captain blinked at the easy manner between them.

"No Sir."

"You'd say that if you'd been waiting for the last hour, Falman." A tall blond Major grinned from the group and moved forward to slap the Warrant Officer on the shoulder. Falman smiled slightly, shaking his head gently as Breda came close as well.

"Captain Grant?" Another blonde Major stood in front of him and he nodded.

"Yes I am."

"Is First Lieutenant Feld with you?"

Grant turned and signalled and the tall man walked over, saluting them both. The Lieutenant-General walked over and stood just behind the Major.

"Here are your formal orders." Hawkeye handed each man an envelope. "Senior Warrant Officer Falman will be accompanying you and he will take care of all arrangements while you are there. Lieutenant-Colonel Elric will be in charge and will ensure all co-operation from South Headquarters staff."

"You make me sound like an official bully, Hawkeye."

Captain Grant and First-Lieutenant Feld stared at the blonde who had just spoken. A Lieutenant-Colonel with the longest blonde hair and golden eyes that surveyed them both before she grinned at them. The Captain looked at her, wondering why the name Elric was familiar and then saw the silver chain at her hip and blinked. Lieutenant-Colonel Elric was an alchemist and he knew of only one female alchemist. Edward Elric. He had heard the stories and rumours since her return. He had even seen her at a distance at the Ball but that was very different now he was standing two feet away from her.

"I'm sure we'll get along just fine," she said. They both stared as she whirled away and grabbed the civilian in a tight hug, her low words not carrying to them.

"The train leaves in five minutes," Falman said as he approached. "Does Ed have any luggage?"

"Only her case." Hawkeye handed several files over to him. "And it's probably filled with books."

Captain Grant saw the civilian give the Lieutenant-Colonel a push towards the train and realised they were all starting to move towards it. The Lieutenant-General was silent but watched them all, the Captain noticed, as they all converged on the long haired blonde in a noisy bunch. She almost fell out of the huddle and stumbled, only the quick hand of the Lieutenant-General saving her from falling over.

"Do you always have a problem getting on trains?" He queried. "You had a similar problem last time if I recall."

"Shut up bastard." The blonde growled and the Captain stared as the Lieutenant-General merely laughed. He had heard of their spats, and he could see that there was an ease of long familiarity between them.

Feld had already boarded and Falman was disappearing into the carriage. Captain Grant swung himself up the steps and heard the Lieutenant-Colonel coming up behind him. He missed the quiet words as the Lieutenant-Colonel looked back.

"Take care, Edward."

"You too, Roy."

* * *

Edward stood in the doorway and looked at them all, her eyes flickering mainly between Al and Roy. Her hand was gripping the door tightly and she was biting at the inside of her lip. Leaving had seemed a lot easier half an hour ago. It wasn't anymore. Not as she looked at them, memorising their faces. And especially his. Damn, she hadn't even left yet and she was missing him. That was plain stupid and confusing.

The train began to move and she swayed with the movement. Hands waved and she waved back. A quick smile exchanged with her brother, before a dark haired man raised a gloved hand to his mouth and she had to blink hard as her face heated. A smirk had her leaning forward, glaring at him even as he smiled, a real smile too she noted, at her. She stood there smiling back as the distance widened.

She took a deep breath as the train left the station completely and she picked up her case and began to look for her seat. Falman appeared at one end of the aisle and she walked towards him.

"Which seat, Falman?"

"We're in the next compartment, Sir."

Edward's eyebrow rose. "A compartment?"

"Yes Sir." The rare grin broke out. They all knew Edward didn't like compartments. She preferred to sprawl on a bench and have the space around her.

"Do I have to sit in there?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Sir."

"Fine." Her breath puffed out and she entered the compartment. Captain Grant was seated on one seat by the window and First-Lieutenant Feld was seated on the same seat but close to the door. Ed tossed her suitcase up into the overhead rack and dropped into the seat opposite Grant by the window.

"Ed Elric," she said as she extended her left hand to the Captain.

"Reg Grant, Sir," he replied as he shook her hand. He was still feeling a bit intimidated by her and judging from the stiff posture of Feld, he was too. He had been very surprised when he had received the call to pack and get ready to go to South Headquarters. He had resigned himself to spending his service in Central. To be sent out was something he had never expected. Higher ranked officers were usually sent, not mere captains. He had looked at his orders once he had sat down in the compartment. Simple and straightforward and personally signed by the Fuhrer.

With the Lieutenant-Colonel nominally in charge, they were to investigate the cause of an explosion and send all findings to Lieutenant-General Mustang's office. It sounded almost too simple.

"When's dinner, Falman?" The Lieutenant-Colonel asked as she turned sideways and brought her boots up onto the seat next to the Senior Warrant Officer. She wanted to be alone but there was no chance of that at the moment, so sleep was her next option. She rubbed at her neck absently, it was sore from where he had latched on but she couldn't look at it just yet.

"Nineteen hundred hours."

"Ok. Wake me up then." She slid down on the seat and curled up. "Just hit me if I kick you."

"Sure Boss." Falman shifted further into the corner as Edward closed her eyes and her legs stretched out a bit further as she settled her head more comfortably on her arm.

Grant and Feld stared at her and then looked at Falman who was leafing through several files.

"Does she always do this?" Feld asked in a disbelieving whisper after ten silent minutes had passed.

"I believe so. The Lieutenant-Colonel always sleeps on the train." Falman kept his voice even as he looked up from a file. He knew Edward was fast asleep, small murmuring snores came from her every now and again, and Falman was hoping that she didn't talk in her sleep. He had never heard that she did, but the last thing he wanted was for her to start talking about things better left unsaid around strangers. He propped his file on her legs and picked up another one. He looked at them and nearly grinned at them.

They had no idea what they were in for. He wasn't exactly sure himself. He'd been on a train with her once before, a very long time ago, but he had a feeling this trip was going to be very different.

* * *

Roy Mustang sat in his office. He felt strangely empty with her gone. He looked at the files waiting for him and sighed. He didn't feel like doing them. He didn't feel like doing anything at the moment. He leant back in his chair and closed his eye, remembering what it had felt like to kiss her an hour ago.

"Take care, Edward," he murmured.

"_You too, Roy," _his mind whispered back at him.

* * *

-0-

Author's Note: Aerugo is at the south border with Amestris in the manga so I am using them here. Amestris and Aerugo had some contact during the Ishvalan War in the manga, but I won't say more so as not to be guilty of spoiling anything for anyone who hasn't read that far. If I do use it further, I will not use the manga connections…

Thank you as always to you all for the support and the comments I get for this monster… thank you for your patience as I try to keep up with this and the other beasts of mine that always seem to want my attention… smiles…

and to the demon whose typo of 'lamo' cleaned me of the bunny-repellent she put on me… and I still have the transcript of that, demon, so don't think you can claim innocence this time…

It always comes down to thanking you all for reading and enjoying my monster... without you all there, I just couldn't write it… Spasibo

silken :)


	33. Going South

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 33: Going South**

Military expresses were good for two things as far as Edward was concerned. The first was that it went non-stop. A nearly four day trip became just over two when you didn't have to find somewhere to sleep overnight. Edward had lost count of the station benches she had slept on when they hadn't been able to find a room.

The second was that there were no civilians on board. She didn't have to worry about her language or have kids looking at her if her automail became exposed. No-one was going to come up and try to make conversation or stare at her as had happened last time. There were others on the train, but they were soldiers being deployed as part of their normal rotation of duties. Or so Falman had told her over dinner. Which had consisted of dried travel rations. The one drawback to military transport was definitely the military food. She missed Al and his stash of snacks. He had always made sure there was enough for her to eat when they'd been on the trains.

Having Al here would have made this perfect. Except she was feeling a bit guilty as she walked down the aisle between the compartments. Because every time she thought of being here with Al, Roy's face would appear as well. Her hand went to her neck again. Every time she thought of him she was reminded of the sore spot there. Which meant she was almost continually rubbing at her neck. It was tender and ever since she had woken up for dinner, she had been aware of it. The bastard had done something and she was going to do the same thing to him as soon as she got back, she promised herself as she entered the compartment. It was so damned annoying.

"Is there something wrong, Sir?" Falman asked as Ed dropped onto the seat with a muted growl.

"No, nothing's wrong," Ed said, rubbing her neck again as she looked at him. "Where're the others?"

"Captain Grant has gone to check his equipment and First-Lieutenant Feld went to the dining car." Falman almost frowned at Ed as she kept rubbing at her neck. "Are you sure? You were rubbing there earlier."

"It's a bit sore, that's all. You called me 'Boss' earlier. That's so unlike you, Falman, and sneaky too." She grinned slightly.

"Maybe you slept wrong," Falman remarked as he looked at the files on the seat beside him, before looking up at her, his expression wary at first. "It was merely a way to demonstrate where I am positioned in this team."

"I know. I saw their expressions. If you need to call me Boss again, I don't mind. We've known each other for a long time, Falman, and Havoc rarely calls me anything else anyway. I answer to it just as easily as my own name." She rubbed at her neck again. "No, it's not aching like that. It's just damned annoying."

"Let me have a look. The Lieutenant-General was most insistent that I look after you." Falman turned on the seat, frowning slightly and moved the files out of the way.

Ed groaned. "He knows I can take care of myself, the stupid bastard. No offence Falman, but I really don't you need you as my nursemaid." Ed suddenly grinned at the older man. "And if I remember it right, Al and I were the ones who got you out of trouble the last time we were on a train together."

Falman smiled. "You were indeed a great help that time." He shifted along the bench. "But this time we both know the Lieutenant-General would be upset if there was anything was wrong with you."

"He just wants to keep track of everything I do. Just like before." Ed sighed but pulled her jacket and shirt collars away from her neck. If she didn't let him look, she knew he'd mention it to the bastard and she had no idea how he would react. Four years ago he'd accuse her of being reckless and stupid, but this new 'I like you' Roy reacted in different and unpredictable ways. And the little voice at the back of her head was whispering something about not wanting to worry that same Roy, which of course had absolutely nothing to do with her uncharacteristic acquiescence.

"Oh my." Falman spoke with a blank manner that had her tensing up. She saw his face flush and his eyes seemed fixed at the side of her neck.

"What is it?" Ed asked, beginning to frown. Falman opened his mouth but no words came out and Ed's eyes widened as her heart began to race faster. "What is _it_, Falman? What's wrong?"

"It's…it's…" He reached out and pulled her jacket tightly closed with a hard tug and sat back, breathing hard and still staring at her now covered neck.

"Falman, what is it?" Ed said each word slowly and clearly.

His eyes finally moved and he looked at her. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so obviously shaken out of his calm manner.

"Ed…you've got a love bite there." Ed blinked at him looking confused and Falman swallowed, still blushing furiously. "It's a hickey, a love bite. Uh, someone's been sucking at your neck. It brings up a bruise."

Ed went as red as Falman was, and then her face went pasty white before the blood surged back and her eyes glared. "That fucking bastard!"

Falman didn't have to ask. He knew who she meant and his blush deepened. Obviously the Lieutenant-General and the Lieutenant-Colonel had managed to get some time alone to say goodbye before they had arrived at the train station. Equally obviously, it hadn't been a mere hug and kiss on the cheek. Falman wasn't quite as blind as his colleagues thought him to be, even if he was lacking in the practical application areas. He watched Edward curse and swear and was grateful the other two were not there. He was wondering whether the others back at the office knew about this or not when Edward suddenly rounded on him.

"How do you know what it is?"

His fading blush came back in force and he tried speaking calmly. "When Hawkeye and Havoc first started dating, we all went slightly over the top with the bets and it came up as one of them at the time." Even Falman heard the squeak in his voice and knew he was failing miserably at keeping his unruffled demeanour.

Edward gaped at him. Not only the squeak but his words were revealing a self-conscious and, judging by the fidgeting movement of his hands, shy man. "I hope you lot aren't doing the same thing with Roy and me?" Ed glowered at him and Falman hurriedly shook his head.

"No!" Which was technically true but only because no-one had thought of betting for hickeys yet. Falman promised himself he wouldn't participate in that one if it did ever get mentioned.

"We're not dating anyway," Ed muttered rebelliously and tugged her collars up higher. She shifted on the seat and moved to sit in the corner, her feet on the seat. "How long before it disappears?"

"A few days to a week, I'd imagine. It's like a normal bruise." Falman looked around the compartment, trying to avoid her eyes.

"Fucking great. I'm going to have to wear my fucking jacket all the fucking time," Ed groused and scowled at Falman. "When we get back, I am going to fucking bruise him."

Falman groaned and dropped the file he had just picked up. "Please Ed, don't tell me things like that."

Ed stared at him and then flushed. "Dammit Falman, I didn't mean I was going to bite him… Oh fuck. I mean, I'll just _hit _him hard enough to bruise." Ed let her head drop into her hands for a moment and then looked back up. "No-one is to know." She stated in a firm voice.

Falman nodded quickly. "I won't say anything."

"Good." Ed slumped in the corner and her hand went up to her neck again before she realised what she was doing. "Damn." She stood and reached up to drag her suitcase down from the overhead rack. She put it on the seat and opened it, looking for something to distract herself with. She did not want to spend the rest of the trip thinking of that bastard and his mark. She wondered if there were any mirrors on the train. She didn't recall seeing them on other trains before. And the small bathroom at the end the corridor here hadn't had one. Damned Military. The first time she actually wanted one she couldn't find one, and she thought Falman was a bit too unsettled still to ask. Maybe she could ask later, discreetly of course. She lifted out a couple of books and closed the case up just as the others returned.

"Let me help you with that, Ma'am," First-Lieutenant Feld offered and then stepped back as she suddenly glared at him

"Do not call me Ma'am. Sir does me just fine." Both Grant and Feld heard the threat implicit in her voice and both nodded. "It's ok Feld. I can manage it." Ed added with a friendly smile, now that she had spoken, and he watched as she easily heaved it up into the rack. "What's the dining car like?" she asked as she sat down with her books. Falman had collected her dinner before waking her and apart from one trip to the bathroom she hadn't been able to explore yet.

"It's just a dining car, uh, Sir." He sat down after the Captain did and saw her settle into the corner.

"I wouldn't know, Feld. The one time I was on a Military express before, we didn't have a dining car." Ed frowned. "At least not that I ever saw."

"The cook's just giving out rationed packs, but they do have an urn set up."

"As long as there's coffee I guess it can't be too bad." Ed nodded her thanks and then looked at the Captain. "And your equipment is good?"

"Yes, Sir. I believe South Headquarters has a comprehensive lab there so I didn't bring much."

"Good. We'll use their facilities." Ed turned slightly. "Hey Falman, who's in charge of South these days?"

"General Sarin."

"I've never met him." Ed frowned and then her face cleared. "But Ralke and Van should be around. See if we can get them assigned to us. I'd rather have people I know around."

"Van?" Falman queried. He remembered Ralke or rather Major Gray, but he wasn't familiar with the other name.

"Van. Major Dayel, the Glass Alchemist. He passed at the same time as Ralke and I did. They were both posted South." Falman nodded and made a note as Ed continued. "Terlat said he'd organise for office and dormitory space and they'll know where everything else is as well."

"There's a communication link on board. I could have that request put through so they'll be waiting when we arrive." Falman remarked.

"Ok, let's do that tomorrow." Ed looked at Captain Grant. "Is there anything you can think we'll need?"

"Not that I can think of, Sir," he replied after a short pause he hoped would be taken for him considering the matter and not for the stunned confusion at being consulted that it was.

"Well, if you do think of anything later, let Falman know." Ed picked up one of her books as she spoke. "We really can't do much until we get there and see exactly what the damage is."

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang rolled over and looked at his bedside clock. Three in the morning. He rolled back and stared at the dimmed ceiling. Edward was probably fast asleep on that train while he was here tossing and turning. It was going to be another couple of days before he'd even get the chance to talk to her. And that was going to be in his office surrounded by whoever else was there at the time. There'd be no chance of having just a quiet conversation with her. This time the phone calls would not be like the ones of his inspection tour and he knew he'd have to think of a good and valid reason if he wanted her to ring every evening. Or he could call her.

This liking her had made missing her more painful than he'd ever remembered it being before. There was every chance this would all be done and she'd be back within two weeks, so why was he feeling as if she was going to be gone for months? He had been absolutely furious when he had been faced with the possibility of her being posted out. He was angry again, but he was angry because he couldn't be with her. He was angry at himself for missing her so much, and angry because 'I like Edward' had him by the throat and balls and everywhere in between and he couldn't do anything about it. Because she wasn't here and he couldn't be where she was.

He thumped his pillow and thought again about her sleeping on the train. He scowled as he turned over again. _I hope you're having trouble sleeping too, Edward._

* * *

Edward ran a hand through her hair and looked at her watch. Three o'clock. She was tired but not tired enough to sleep. She scowled at the small compartment and stood up. Falman had said there was a sleeper berth in the next compartment but Ed had shaken her head and stayed while the others had gone to bed. It was bad enough being stuck in a compartment, trying to sleep in one of those smaller berths would have her becoming claustrophobic. She rubbed at her neck and surveyed the paper strewn over the seats. This had to be the only good point about compartments. Being able to spread her notes everywhere without fearing they'd get lost or mixed up. Although she'd have to clear them away before the others woke up.

Getting lost in her research had been a method to keep her mind from wondering what Roy was doing. _Probably sleeping, the bastard._ And it had worked, for the most part. Her fingers slipped under her shirt collar and felt at the soft spot on her neck. _Damned bastard for doing this to me. _Several times during the night she had found herself prodding at that spot on her neck. It always seemed to be softer than the skin around it and she was positive that it was swollen.

She took a few steps and leant against the doorframe. She didn't understand why he had marked her like that. She was condemned to wearing her collars buttoned up, and her jacket, until it faded and she frowned as she tried to remember if she had packed the high necked black skivvy. If she had, that would solve her problem, except it had short sleeves, and she preferred the shirt because it did cover her automail. Her irritability with having to consider all of these things warred with the remembered heat and sensations she had felt at the time. And those feelings had been why she hadn't stopped him when he had latched onto her neck. _I didn't know it would leave a mark._

"Damn you Roy," she muttered before she wheeled away from the door and began to walk down the aisle. She needed to be doing something, she needed to be moving. All that research with no sleep and Roy-thoughts were making her fidgety and there was no-one to distract her. Ed frowned thoughtfully at the carriage door and then opened it, slipping through and closing it behind her.

She stood on the open gangway between the carriages and took a deep breath. The wind pulled at her hair and clothes and she placed her hands on the railing before leaning forward. A half-moon gave some light and she looked out over the passing landscape. Meandering fences and lines of trees slipped past her eyes and she smiled. The air was fresh and cool and she could smell the night on the rushing air. Now this was what she missed from being in that stuffy compartment with its small window and high walls.

Edward liked this time of night. Her restless nights had often seen her awake at this time. There was a deeper silence on this darker side of midnight. It was easier to think and breathe out here. Her restlessness faded slightly and she closed her eyes for a long moment. The sudden wish for Roy to be there had her eyes opening wide and her hands gripping hard at the railing before she stepped back to lean against the door.

"There's no escaping you now, is there bastard? You're everywhere I go." Her fingers probed her neck again. "I wasn't even trying to escape either." She sank down the wall and sat on the floor, her breath letting out. "Face it Ed, you _like_ him and you forget everything when he kisses you. Even this whole gender thing and the fact he's the smuggest bastard that ever was." Her head tilted back against the wall. _I miss him. _"You'd better be missing me, you bastard."

* * *

Captain Grant was an early riser and he entered the compartment a little after six to find it empty. There was a pile of loose notes being held down by several of the books the Lieutenant-Colonel had been reading last night. He knew Feld was asleep as they were sharing the same compartment and he assumed that the others were still sleeping as well. He decided to see if the cooks had woken and left the compartment.

He walked carefully between the carriages and as quietly as he could as he passed several sleeping soldiers stretched out on their seats in the next carriage. Sleep was not something you disturbed unless you had to when you were a soldier. There were too many times when you just never got enough sleep that you took every opportunity you could when you had the chance.

The dining car was just before the baggage car. Only the Military would push it down to this end of the train, he thought as he opened the door. But then only the military would have a dining car that didn't serve anything but ration packs and coffee. And the sudden smell of eggs that hit his nose had him faltering as he stepped inside. Cooked eggs, hot cooked fried eggs and… was that bacon as well? Captain Grant blinked hard and stared towards the end of the carriage.

Two cooks were huddled around what appeared to be a pot belly stove and the heavenly smells were emanating from them. Sizzling noises now assaulted his ears and he stepped closer, his mouth watering. One of the cooks looked up.

"Sorry Sir, we're not serving yet." An apologetic voice came from the brown haired Corporal holding a frypan carefully over the stove.

"When will you be serving?" Captain Grant asked, his voice betraying his interest.

"Give the Captain these ones and I'll have the next batch."

The Captain blinked as he looked and saw Lieutenant-Colonel Elric's head appear on the other side. He automatically saluted and she shook her head at him. "You don't have to do that, Captain. Grab one of those plates and come here."

He looked around and saw plates stacked on a shelf and he was quick to obey her order. The cook placed a pile of scrambled eggs and rashers of what appeared to be bacon on his plate and he moved back out of their way to the closest table.

"But isn't this yours, Sir?" he asked.

"Yes, but I can wait." Ed replied easily. She didn't tell him she'd already had some, as well as several cups of coffee. After going back to tidy up her papers she had come down here seeking the coffee. Sleep had stayed out of her reach and she had found the place empty and the coffee urn cold. A quick clap had fixed that and once she had a cup, she had started to look around. It hadn't taken her long to find some of the dried eggs and other rations. And even less time to realise that she could use her alchemy to make herself a good breakfast. Four years had given Ed some kitchen skills and after alchemising the ingredients, she had easily cooked her meal.

"It won't take long, Sirs," the cook said. He had been startled to say the least to find a Lieutenant-Colonel eating breakfast in his kitchen when he had appeared half an hour ago. In fact he had been absolutely horrified and Ed had given him her plate to calm him down. She hadn't told him that it had been her second serving once he had realised what he was eating. He had insisted on cooking her a proper serving and Ed had been unable to refuse in the face of his seeming mortification.

"I didn't think we had bacon and eggs," Captain Grant remarked after swallowing his mouthful.

"It's all dried stuff and I'm not sure if it is actually bacon. I just reconstituted it," Ed replied as she moved to get another plate. It didn't take long before she was sliding her plate on the table and sitting opposite him. The Corporal came over with a coffee and she smiled her thanks at him.

"If you want I'll do some more for the others before I leave," Ed offered, somehow managing to speak clearly despite the mouthful of egg. "The smell is rather noticeable and you're going to get questions about it."

"Thank you Sir. If it's no trouble for you." The Corporal bobbed his head before walking back to the small stove. Captain Grant studied the blond as she ate. She ate neatly but very quickly. He didn't quite know what to make of her yet. There had been a few stories about the Fullmetal Alchemist floating around Central for years, but when he…she had reappeared the number of stories had increased dramatically. Along with stories of the Flame Alchemist as rumours of their arguments and squabbles had become prevalent.

He had seen the truth of those rumours in their brief exchange back at the station. But there had been no rancour in their cheerful insults, and the rumours had never mentioned that. A sign they had known each other for a long time and all the stories said that Edward Elric had been placed under Mustang's command when _he_ had been only twelve. And then for some reason they had all been sent to East Headquarters until Liore and the turmoil after that. Rumour said that while in the East, the then Colonel Mustang and Fullmetal Alchemist had hated each other; there were even stories of destructive alchemic battles between them. And then Edward Elric had disappeared and General Mustang had returned to Central Headquarters. Without an eye and without showing anything that approached human kindness. It hadn't taken long for the Ice General sobriquet to become wide-spread. Even when he had dropped back to being a Brigadier-General, the name remained and so did his cold manner. Only with the return of Edward Elric had things changed.

He wondered if the rumours of a long standing hatred were not true, or at least exaggerated. He was in Investigations, he knew how rumours could spread and be completely untrue. Maybe that was the case here. Or maybe it was half correct. No underlying hatred but just the way they communicated. After all if Edward had been only twelve at the beginning, no-one would have expected a twelve year old to be the same as a normal soldier. And he…she had been, was once again, a State Alchemist. Maybe the relationship had been more of a rebellious teenager fighting against authority. Didn't all teenagers do that? And Mustang would have been the most obvious target for that anger. That would explain the stories from all those years ago although it didn't quite cover why they would still argue now. Surely now Edward was older, grown up and more cognizant of responsibility, that need to go against authority would have disappeared. Maybe it came down to personalities and he didn't know either of them well enough to make a judgement on that.

Perhaps they were just too used to it to change and that seemed more reasonable to his mind. The lack of acrimony and the casual almost throwaway comments he had heard at the station, coupled with the polite and friendly manner she had shown since they had boarded convinced him. It was obvious that the Lieutenant-Colonel and the Lieutenant-General argued simply because they had always argued. It was a habit. It was hard to imagine the calm blonde in front of him ever being in a violent and hate-fuelled rage.

He almost nodded to himself as he figured it out. It was her reputation that was grossly overstated and the reality was very different. He felt rather pleased at his deductions and found that it eased a lot of the awe he had been feeling since yesterday. It also relieved some of the worry he had about working with her. Perhaps her reputation would even be useful when it came to questioning people. Yes, now that he thought about it, there really was nothing to be nervous about.

"Ready to go back, Captain?" The Lieutenant-Colonel's voice broke into his thoughts and he nodded. He watched as she took both plates and her cup back before he could even move, talking easily with the Corporal as she put them where he indicated. The flash and flare of alchemy had him blinking and he realised she had done as she had promised earlier and reconstituted some more of the dried supplies for the rest of the soldiers.

"Let's get out of here before anyone else comes through, Captain," she said cheerily as she waved at the Corporal before walking to the door. He followed her from the carriage noting how at ease she was with the train's movements. The other soldiers were still asleep and she moved swiftly through the carriages back to their own compartmented one.

He would have a word with Feld later on to see if he had made any judgements on the Lieutenant-Colonel yet. It was rather obvious that the Warrant Officer assigned to them already knew her and was probably a member of the Lieutenant-General's staff judging by the greetings yesterday. His steps slowed as he watched her disappear into the compartment. It suddenly stuck him that he was in a position to be noticed by people with influence in high places.

* * *

Major Hawkeye entered the office and let the files in her hands drop onto her desk with a loud thump and sat down heavily. Eyes went wide and everyone leant forward. Something had upset the usually unflappable woman. They didn't usually get treated to the sight of Hawkeye venting.

"What happened babe?" Jean asked. She looked at them all and could see the almost palpable curiousity surrounding them. "Tell us." She bit the sigh back at the expressions in their faces. They wouldn't stop until she told them and she really didn't mind knowing that.

"The replacement that Edward chose," she began and then stopped as the Lieutenant-General appeared from his office.

"What's that about Edward's replacement?" Roy asked as he looked around. Riza was the only one who did not grin visibly, only because she managed to control it. It had been a surprise to see him suddenly appear, yet not that astonishing. Anything that concerned Edward was always going to have his interest. He was becoming more transparent about now though.

"She said he was a bit uptight. She failed to mention that he was so uptight he could give Falman lessons." She watched as they gaped and Fuery even choked. She settled back in her chair, feeling pleased at their reaction. These people were her family, she took care of them and she knew very well how they saw her. So to be able to shake their usual perception of her always made her feel a little bit smug. Not that she was ever going to tell them. She looked at Jean. She didn't think he realised just how much enjoyment she got from these little moments.

"I didn't think anyone could be _that_ uptight." Breda remarked as he stared at her.

"Colonel Allerton started off by wanting to know why Edward wasn't there to meet him. As she was the one who had notified him, apparently he had been expecting her there to receive him. Which then led him to question why I was there as I wasn't part of the Department. When I handed over the official copy of his orders, he went through them twice. He wanted me to confirm that the Lieutenant-General was aware of what was in them and that should a problem arise, he would be able to directly contact the Lieutenant-General at any given time." Chuckles went around the office and Roy took a deep breath to avoid audibly groaning. He never made himself easily available, being more of the opinion that if it was their problem, they should fix it.

"He was most interested in the terms of his tenure there. The word 'temporary' seemed to worry him and he wanted to clarify the conditions of his appointment. He wasn't too impressed when I told him that he could be replaced. He wants a disciplinary notice issued against Edward..."

"What?" Jean interrupted her and the others sat up straight, eyes flickering across to the Brigadier-General. He was frowning slightly but seemed completely relaxed as he leant against the door-frame, his hands in his pockets.

"What did Edward do?" Roy asked calmly.

"According to him, she was rude and insubordinate, he stressed that she had been _very_ rude to him when she rang him yesterday."

"It sounds more like Ed was her normal self," Breda remarked. "Especially if that Colonel's as thick as he sounds. I hope he's still here when Ed returns."

"I'd like to see that too." Havoc grinned. "What did you say, Riz?"

"I told him I would inform the Lieutenant-General of the matter and that he would consider it."

They all looked at him and Roy nearly sighed. He nearly asked 'why me?' but he knew exactly why. Even if he had never started _liking_ Edward, if she had never left and come back so changed, he was always going to be the only one they would come to regarding Edward. Because he had managed to persuade the boy to join the Military, for his own selfish reasons admittedly, but it had set the impression and the association was always going to be there.

"Tell him I'm considering it." Roy could see the disappointment in their eyes and smirked lightly. Did they think that he was really going to lose his control over a complaint like this? Even if it did concern Edward? While there was a small, _very small_, urge to go and see this Colonel and maybe, _just maybe_, snap his fingers a few times, he was also very aware of the impressions that act would cause. Not only would it appear as if Edward was being protected by her superiors, it would also raise questions as to their relationship. And he wasn't ready to have that fact become known, yet. There was also a third reason and it was simply that Edward would not be pleased to find he had been poking his nose into something she would see as her problem to solve. Perhaps a more prudent, _and entertaining_, course of action would be to delay and avoid making a decision until she returned and then telling her, just so he could see, _and enjoy_, her reaction. His smirk widened and he looked at them all. "Nothing is to be said of this matter to Edward."

The tone of his voice didn't quite match up with that almost predatory smirk on his face and they frowned for a moment before recognition flared. He had worn that expression many times in the past. The one that said 'time to stir Edward up'. Seeing it made them aware again of how much he had changed. And Hawkeye noticed that he had an almost soft look in his eye, not the almost evil glint it used to have.

"What are you planning to do, Sir?" Hawkeye asked.

"I'm not planning anything, Hawkeye," Roy replied easily. "This is Edward's first official assignment since her return, she doesn't need to be distracted by something as _small_ as this at the moment."

Everyone began to grin.

"She is going kill you, Chief," Havoc pronounced.

* * *

Edward dropped onto the bench seat and stretched out. She crossed her booted feet at the ankles and felt slightly pleased that she had to put them up onto the arm of the seat. The window above her head was open and if she tilted her head back she could see upwards to the blue sky. She lifted her head slightly, pushing a hand and her jacket under her head as a pillow before settling back down.

She had escaped from the compartment, sneaking into the next carriage and taking this first seat. It was closest to the door, just in case Falman came looking for her. Which she knew he would do sooner or later. Her free hand pressed against her neck again. _Damn you Roy_. She had objected to Falman being sent along with her and now she had to admit she was grateful for his presence. She was now wearing his black skivvy beneath her white shirt.

When she had returned from breakfast she had gone searching in her case but only found a spare white shirt. She had stared at it for a while, cursing mentally. She wished she had kept on wearing the black skivvy instead of switching to the white shirt. She didn't want to have to wear her shirt and jacket buttoned up any longer, so she had managed to get Falman aside and ask him. After all he was the one who had told her what that mark was, it only seemed fair that he be the one to help fix the problem it was causing. He had blushed as hard as she had at first but he had provided her with a skivvy and that had been all she needed. The high neck covered the bite mark and the shirt covered her arm, and she no longer had to wear her jacket.

So now she could lay back here and let her eyes close and imagine just exactly how she intended to leave bruises on the bastard. She had never actually hit him before, it would probably be very satisfying. _You could always bite him back._ The thought slipped into her mind and she turned over to hide her suddenly flaming face. Kissing him was one thing, biting at his neck another. _He didn't bite me, he was sucking at that spot. It was a pulling feeling. Would it feel the same if I did it to him? Hang on, I'm not seriously thinking of…no, that's just too weird. Kissing him is fine. I don't have a problem with that anymore. Do I? Of course I don't. I like Roy. I like kissing him. But sucking? Is this something that will happen often? Is it normal? I don't remember any thing about it in any book, and I'm fairly sure I never saw any signs of this between Alfons and Noa. And whatever you do, don't even think of talking to Al about this. _Ed groaned, she could imagine Winry's reaction if she heard about it.

Ed tilted her head back and looked up out the window to the featureless sky. _Why does it always keep changing? Every time I get used to something it changes on me. And it's always his fault. It's always him who changes it by doing something strange or different. And I get swamped by liking him and have no idea what to do or how to react. He likes me and I like him. That's all I know. But…but that's not all it is, is it? There's more to it. The bastard probably knows what it is but he's not telling and he's not pushing it either. _ Ed frowned and then snorted softly. _If he thinks I'm going to ask him, he's deluded. But who else is there? _She sighed and her eyes closed, her thoughts slowing as she began to sink into sleep. _And he's the one I'm walking this path with. Stupid bastard. _

* * *

"_We'll get the orders rung through."_ Fuery's voice was crackling in Falman's ear as he sat in front of the bank of communications gear on the train. The connection wasn't very good and as he eyed the equipment he wasn't surprised.

"Thanks Fuery. It might be worth suggesting that someone looks into the state of these mobile communication units at some point. This one must be at least eight years old."

"_I think Communications have been concentrating on the overland lines. Mobile equipment is more expensive and complicated."_

"We should still look into it."

"_Falman, neither the Boss nor Chief will welcome you adding another section to their lists." _

"I'm not saying we should do it now!" Falman protested, even as he caught the smile in the other man's voice.

"_Maybe you can be the one to mention it when you get back. The …others want to know, how is the Boss?" _Fuery's small pause did not go unnoticed although neither man mentioned it. Falman didn't need to be told that the Lieutenant-General would be standing nearby listening along with all the others in the office.

"She's fine. Sleeping at the moment."

"_Sleeping?...Breda says that's no fun."_

"Breda has a warped sense of fun. I am quite content with the way the trip has gone so far."

"_Havoc says to remind you not to play cards with her. Apparently Al told him she cheats. But if you do, he says make sure you're on her side and take the other two for all they've got."_

Falman sighed. "Tell Havoc we will not be playing cards." He paused briefly, hearing the muted voices in the background. "Fuery, we'll be there in about twenty-four hours, so I'll call at eleven tomorrow."

"_Alright, that's a couple of hours before you get there, so if there are any problems we can sort them out beforehand."_

"Good. I will talk to you then. Good-bye." Falman put the receiver down and stood up, stretching as he did. A smile creased his face as he imagined them talking over that brief call. He did like that office, it was his home, but he was also very glad that he got to get away from them occasionally. There were some things that tested even his patience. And he had no plans to change any part of it.

He left the communications room behind him and nearly bumped into a Major going past. He saluted with an apologetic bow and walked down the narrow corridor. He had called through to Central to place the request for the two alchemists Edward had mentioned last night. He had seen her sleeping in the carriage next to their assigned one earlier and had grinned. He had been reminded of the first time he had ever seen her. A sleeping boy stretched along the seat with the hulking armour opposite. A single word had woken him and an impressive rant had followed. Falman smiled. He doubted that same word would wake her now, but he would bet that there was another word that would be just as effective.

It was strange to think of Edward and the Lieutenant-General becoming close, as they were doing. He had never thought of anything like that ever happening. Mainly because both had been male, and even now with Edward the way she was now, it still felt strange. Maybe because it was hard to see Ed with anyone but Al beside her, and Mustang had always seemed so self-sufficient. Even when he had been in his isolated state, he had never once given any sign of being lonely or lacking, although they had all agreed that he must be feeling that way. And Edward was proving to be as independent now Al was no longer there. Being together suited those two, he realised. They were strong individually, it made sense that they'd need someone just as strong beside them. Anyone else would get lost and trampled on.

_I can see some things, Breda_, he thought as he headed to their carriage. _I'm not completely oblivious to how people interact. _And it was the wayward thought that perhaps he would find someone to interact with that had him stumbling as he entered the next carriage.

* * *

"You're a heavy sleeper."

Edward blinked and looked over at the stranger seated on the opposite bench. Light chestnut hair and brown eyes above the uniform of a Private.

"I was comfortable," she replied as she stretched slightly.

"Comfortable? On a train?" The Private stared at her.

"Yep." She looked at him. Young but without that cloying look of naiveté that usually made her want to do something to shock them. "You ride on enough of them and you'll find them comfortable as well."

"Sounds like you've been on lots of trains."

"Lost count a long time ago." She settled her head back against her arm. "You're being assigned to South?"

"Yes. We all are. Aren't you?" The brown eyes widened slightly. "Or are you part of that special team?"

"Special team?" Ed queried.

"There's a special team on board," he pointed towards the door leading to the compartmented carriage. "They held our train up for a couple of hours to get that carriage placed and suddenly turned us into an express train because of them."

"They did?" Ed blinked, recalling the Councillor's words. She hadn't known that this train had already been under different orders before that phone call of Kinase's and she realised that it would have affected others as well. The workers at the station, the regular timetables and every other train between here and South. _"The lines will be cleared to allow it through." _

"I don't mind. We'll get there quicker and there was a normal train leaving after we did to collect the soldiers we were supposed to be picking up along the way." He watched her with curiousity. "So are you with them?"

"Yeah, just an escort."

"Ah, for someone important?"

Edward laughed. "No, nothing like that."

"Our Major said it probably wasn't either, but you know what its like. We never get told anything definite and I get tired of losing my money."

"I know." Ed grinned. "Sometimes this place is just one big betting ring."

"Do you bet much?"

"Not really."

"What do you do then?"

Ed frowned in thought, wondering what she could say. Somehow she didn't think research and reading was quite what he wanted to hear. "I used to play cards."

"Really?" The brown eyes gleamed. "Uh, we have a small game going on if you want to sit in for a bit."

"Sure, why not."

* * *

Alphonse Elric paused as he entered the Lieutenant-General's office and frowned.

"What's up, Al?" Hawkeye asked.

"Oh nothing," he replied unable to explain the sudden chill that had gone down his back. "I just came to see if there was any news of Ed."

"Falman called in earlier. Everything's fine." She smiled at him. "They'll get there midafternoon tomorrow."

"If nothing goes wrong," Breda interjected.

"Knock it off, Breda, even the Boss can't get into trouble this time." Havoc grinned. "Falman's with her. She's got no chance with him there."

"This is Edward we are talking about," Al said carefully as he recognised the signs. He caught the quick glance Hawkeye gave him and managed not to smile.

"He's right, Havoc. Ed can get into trouble anywhere, even without really trying."

"Edward has become more responsible now she is older." Hawkeye pointed out and avoided Al's sudden smile.

"And she's on an assignment direct from the Fuhrer. Edward's always been conscientious at times like that."

"She's on a train, Havoc. She's going to get bored!"

"She has a suitcase load of books!"

Al and Riza exchanged conspiratorial glances.

"So, gentlemen, the bet is…?" Riza broke in and they stared at her before looking back at each other.

"Edward does not do anything and you have to wear your jacket buttoned for a week," Havoc said.

"Edward does get into trouble and you have set Falman up with Schieska."

"What?" Havoc exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

"I think it's perfectly fair, because it will be Falman's fault whoever loses."

"That's a different way of looking at it," Havoc mused. "Alright, as long as you help."

"That's not part of it."

"You don't expect me to set him up on my own do you?"

"So, you think Ed will get into trouble?" Breda smirked slightly and Havoc glared at him.

"No! I was only thinking that _if_ by some miracle you did actually win this one, then you'd have to help."

"Should we stop them, Riza?" Al murmured as they watched the two argue.

"No, let them continue. Unlike the other two, there's no risk of physical damage."

"You don't think Sister will get into trouble, do you?" Al asked slightly worried.

"No, Al. I think she'll be fine. As Jean said, Falman is with her, and much as I like him, the man is a complete wet blanket at times."

* * *

Senior Warrant Officer Vato Falman wondered how he had managed to get himself in this position. He was seated opposite the Lieutenant-Colonel, holding a winning hand and waiting for a Sergeant to either raise or call.

He had been on his way back when he had found the Lieutenant-Colonel in the middle of a card game and been invited to join in. An hour later the game was still going and both he and the Lieutenant-Colonel had respectable piles of loose change in front of them.

"Call you for another five, Vato," the Sergeant they knew only as Wal threw down another five cens.

Falman had never been in a situation like this before. Back at the office, he was nearly always called 'Falman', even during the light-hearted moments, but these soldiers used nick-names and first names easily and casually. Edward had fitted in easily and at the moment she was sitting back watching, having folded from this hand. He had recalled what Fuery had mentioned during the call and had felt obliged to join in to keep an eye on her. The last thing he wanted was to have any trouble break out here, and so far he had seen no sign that she was cheating at all. She won some, she lost some and she was keeping her temper well-hidden. 'Ed', as they were calling her, seemed to be the most easy-going soldier there was.

Without her jacket on and no sign of any insignia they were assuming she was of similar rank, and Falman couldn't think of any other soldier that could ignore their own rank as easily and completely as she did. She had never relied on it, her watch had been all the insignia she had ever used, and a quick glance revealed the silver chain was missing from her hip. He frowned. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her without it.

"Damn, Vato." Wal shook his head as Falman laid his cards down and revealed his straight flush to beat Wal's three of a kind. "You going to be in South long? There's a small pub near Headquarters there where you can play most nights."

"I'm not sure how long we're going to be there for, Wal." Falman wondered how he could refuse the indirect invitation.

"I was stationed at South a few years back," Wal told him. "There's plenty of other places as well. You both play pretty good, when you're free we should check them out."

"Yeah Vato, we should do that." Ed smirked slightly.

"I don't think the Chief would approve of us doing that. You especially," Falman replied and Edward scrunched her nose up.

"Who's the Chief?" Wal asked.

"Stupid bastard," Ed muttered, her hand rubbing absently at her neck.

"Ahh, your CO?" Wal nodded sagely as he shuffled the deck for the next hand. "There are some right bastards. We've been pretty lucky. Our Major's pretty smart and he looks after the men good."

"I had a bastard of a Colonel several years ago," Ed said as she put her cens in the middle. "Asshole had me travelling everywhere." She looked at the brown-eyed Private. "That's how I got to be comfortable on trains,' she grinned.

"You don't look old enough to have been in the Military that long, Ed," Wal said as he dealt the cards.

"Enlisted early."

Wal looked at her and grinned at the short answer. "And I bet you lied about your age too."

"Maybe," she grinned back at him.

"You're lucky you didn't get caught. They really cracked down on underage recruits after Liore," Wal told her and she frowned.

"Why?"

"At the time a State Alchemist deserted and they said he was a traitor and been working for the rebels as well. He was only sixteen at the time and even though they cleared his name afterwards, they said that kids that age were just too young to realise what they were getting themselves in to and could get caught up in things they just couldn't handle. So now they make very sure any would-be recruit is old enough."

Ed looked over at Falman. "No-one ever mentioned that."

"It wasn't necessary. A lot of things changed after Liore," Falman said non-committally.

"You're right there, Vato," Wal agreed. "Most of it for the better."

"It was still a heavy price to pay," Ed remarked.

"Most of them are, Ed. I take it you were both there too, huh?" Wal looked from one to the other.

Ed frowned with memories. "Yes, we were there."

"Was it really that bad?" The young voice had the three of them looking at the others. New recruits, barely six months into their enlistment and on their way to their first real posting. Edward had never felt as old as she did right now. Even at sixteen and facing Liore she hadn't felt as young as these _kids _suddenly looked. Falman and Wal had similar expressions on their faces and she sighed.

"Yes, Liore really was that bad." She looked at her gloved hands for a moment before looking back up. They were all eighteen or just older, they lacked naiveté but they did have an innocence to them.

"And here's hoping it never happens again," Wal remarked.

"I'll drink to that," Ed agreed, knowing that she was going to make very sure it never did happen again.

Falman saw her jaw straighten and the shadows shift in her eyes. It was always easy to forget just how much she had seen and been through he thought. She was much better at hiding it now as well he realised as she looked at him, her eyes darker than normal, but her face clear of anything but amusement.

"You don't happen to know if there is anything to drink on board, do you Vato?"

* * *

The clock ticked over and Fuery frowned. He looked at the telephone and then back at the clock. It was eleven fifteen and Falman had not rung in as they had organised yesterday.

"Falman did say it was an old unit," Hawkeye said as Fuery kept watching the clock.

"I know." Fuery looked at her with a wry expression on his face. "It just feels really strange that Falman of all people is late."

She smiled. "I know what you mean, but these things do happen. Check with Communications to see if there's been any problems reported and if not, then it's probably a fault with the equipment."

Fuery nodded. "Okay." He picked up the phone and began to dial.

Roy sat back in his chair. He didn't want to admit that he was feeling slightly tense at the lack of communications. Like Fuery he found it hard to imagine Falman simply forgetting to call in. Something had to have happened and he wanted to know what it was. He knew that if there had been a serious problem with the train he would have been notified straightaway. This silence was more worrying.

"Communications say the equipment's fine. Apparently someone used that line a couple of hours ago." He heard Fuery speaking to Hawkeye and his frown deepened.

_What are you doing, Edward?_

* * *

Falman squinted at his watch. "I'm late."

"We're all late," Ed's cheery voice told him. "But what exactly are you late for this time?"

"I was supposed to call in at eleven and make sure there hadn't been any last minute problems. It's eleven forty-five now."

"I doubt there will be any problems. The bastard would make sure of that. Besides I don't think you can walk that far at the moment."

Falman groaned. "This is your fault."

"I was not the one who tried to drink Wal under the table. You did that all on your own."

"You were the one who supplied all that alcohol." Falman tried to lift his head up and groaned again. Ed grinned and held a glass filled with a murky brown substance.

"Drink this, you'll feel better."

"What is it?"

"Hangover cure."

"It looks disgusting."

"It is, but it works."

Falman's hand was shaking as reached for the glass. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. All you do is scull it down as quickly as you can."

"What's in it?"

"Don't ask any more questions and just drink it. You're stalling."

"That's because it looks revolting and it smells strange as well."

"Well your choices are simple. Either drink it or suffer for the rest of the day." Ed said heartlessly and sat on the seat opposite him. He was shaking as he held the glass in both hands and looked dubiously at it. His head hurt, there was a very loud pounding behind his eyes and even his breathing seemed to be too noisy at the moment. He didn't understand how Ed could be so unaffected after all the drinking she had done.

"Why don't you have a hangover too?"

"Because I didn't drink as much as you," Ed said readily. "Just drink it, Vato. You will feel better afterwards."

Falman's eyes ached as he looked at her, and he suddenly straightened up in his seat, lifting the glass and drinking the contents. Edward watched and waited.

It had been a good eight hours she thought, as Falman's face twisted at the unpleasant taste, since they had continued playing cards and started drinking. She had slipped down to the dining car and had a quick word with the Corporal there. A few ingredients later and she had alchemised a passable beverage, high in alcohol percentage and rather tasteless. Ed had drunk enough home-made 'black-burnt' brews in Germany and had even helped build a few stills, to know exactly how much alcohol she could handle. She had been impressed with Falman though. He was obviously no stranger to drinking, unlike the young recruits who had become rather drunk rather quickly. Wal and Falman had kept going and she had paced herself beside them. By the time the last of the recruits had passed out, the other two had just hit their stride.

They had kept playing cards and Falman and Wal had begun trading stories and tales. Wal had been conscripted for the Ishbal Campaign and they had started there and just kept on going. The card game had gradually been forgotten and Ed had sat back and listened, until it had caught up with them and they had toppled over and fallen asleep. Ed had stayed there watching them sleep for awhile. It had been interesting to see that no matter how drunk Falman got he had never once spoken of Mustang. It said much for the loyalty and ties they had to the man.

The Major in charge of the recruits hadn't been too pleased she thought, when he had appeared half way through the proceedings. By that time the recruits were sleeping. He had demanded to know exactly what was going on and Edward's reply of 'just passing the time away' had not been acceptable. Her invitation for him to join them had been met with a glare and highly offended look. When he had threatened her with disciplinary measures she had taken him away from the other two and given him her name and rank and told him to go right ahead. He had backed down and left in a hurry, thinking it safer to stay in one of the other carriages for the rest of the trip.

She had grinned and gone back to the others. And when they had fallen asleep, she had made sure that everyone was settled comfortably. She didn't know if that Major would make an official complaint later, and she didn't want him to be able to accuse her of recklessness. She'd sat through more than enough of those lectures growing up. And while she could admit now that she had been reckless, she had never tried to put anyone but herself in harm's way. Because she knew how much it hurt when those you cared about and were responsible for were injured.

"God! That's vile!" Falman spluttered and pushed his head out the window, gagging slightly.

Ed grinned. It really was the worst tasting cure she had ever had, but it did work if you managed to keep it down. Which Falman was now struggling to do. She waited until he sat back, pale and shaking and handed him over one of the small towels she had taken from the small bathroom further up the corridor.

"It won't take long and you'll be feeling better. We'll be in South City in a few hours, you might as well sleep until then."

"I should check in with Fuery…"

"I'll go and do that. You catch up on your sleep." Edward stood up and picked up her jacket.

"Do you know how to use the equipment, Edward?"

"Not really, but it can't be too hard."

Falman groaned and tried to stand up but his legs felt weak and he fell back onto the seat. "I'll write it down for you."

Ed grinned and handed him the back of a file to write on.

* * *

"Lieutenant-General Mustang's office." Fuery rattled off as soon as he put the phone to his ear.

"_Hey Fuery."_

"Ed?" Fuery's eyes went wide and everyone looked at him. "What are you doing calling in?"

"_Falman's a bit indisposed at the moment, so I'm doing it instead."_

"What's wrong with him?"

"_He's got a massive hangover and is sleeping it off."_

"He's got a what?" Fuery squeaked and Breda and Havoc left their desks to crowd around.

"_A hangover. This line is really crackly, are you having trouble hearing me?"_

"I can hear you fine, Ed. How did he get a hangover?"

"_The same way everyone else does. By drinking too much. Is there anything we need to know before we get to South City?"_

"Uh, no it's all clear. What was he doing drinking on the train?" Fuery leant back in his chair as Havoc and Breda tried reaching for the phone.

"_We were just passing the time."_

"By drinking?" Fuery's voice rose as a gloved hand plucked the phone from him.

"_Yes, and playing cards."_

"Cards as well, Edward?" Roy's voice was smooth and he almost made out the swallowed curse at the other end.

"_Of course, bastard." _Edward's voice crackled in his ear and he smiled slightly.

"Shall I await a damage report?"

"_There was no damage. You should have said and I could have arranged it for you." _ Edward was grinning, he could hear it in her voice. _"I owe you a bruise."_ She added and he smirked. He wished he was not surrounded by a group of grinning subordinates as his mind gave him a several responses to choose from, none of which he wanted them to hear.

"That will have to wait until you return," he replied as calmly and as smugly as he could.

"_Damn you." _Her voice was choked and he smirked slightly.

"I miss you too, shrimp," he retorted without thinking and there was a noticeable silence before Edward replied in a short abrupt tone.

"_Likewise, bastard."_ The line cut off and his smirk became a smile for a brief moment before he remembered the rest of his crew was watching him. His smirk widened.

"She hung up on you, Chief?" Havoc asked as Roy lowered the phone and he nodded.

"Yes, she certainly did."

"So what were they doing on the train?" Breda asked.

"Apart from playing cards and drinking, I don't know." He paused. "The next time one of you speaks with Falman, ask him for more details. Edward was her usual un-informative self."

"I want to know how they got any alcohol on there in the first place." Havoc remarked. "You know they don't allow any one to touch those crates when they're in transit."

"Which is why we need to know," Roy stated.

"If they didn't do anything illegal, does that mean I win the bet?" Havoc asked Breda.

* * *

Edward straightened her jacket and ran a hand down her braid to make sure her hair was confined neatly. She pulled at her gloves and looked over at Falman. He was still pale but looked composed as he shrugged into his jacket. Captain Grant was making similar adjustments to his uniform. He watched the Lieutenant-Colonel tug at her jacket again.

He had spent most of the time in the compartment with First-Lieutenant Feld. He had seen Falman when she had half-carried him back to the compartment and he had helped her put him on the seat. The tall Warrant Officer had been almost asleep and definitely drunk. And she had merely smiled and thanked him before declining his offer of help and telling him to get some sleep. She had obviously been drinking too, her very bright eyes and flushed face gave her away, but she was in control of herself. He wondered where she had gotten the alcohol from, knowing that it was banned on Military transports.

First-Lieutenant Feld went to pick up the Lieutenant-Colonel's case and stopped at the weight of it. He blinked as he had to use his other hand to lift it before he could balance himself with it and carry it with one hand.

"I'll carry it, Lieutenant," she said as she noticed what he was doing. "I know it's a bit heavy."

"It's very heavy!" he blurted and she grinned.

"How many books did you bring, Boss?" Falman asked as they saw her pick the case up easily with her right hand.

"A few. Al wouldn't let me pack all I wanted to."

"A few dozen?"

"Something like that." She shrugged. "Do you know if anyone's meeting us?"

"Yes, a First-Lieutenant Eryman I think Fuery said yesterday."

"That's not much of a help when we have no idea what he looks like," Ed remarked as a loud whoosh echoed outside and the train stopped moving. She waited but no-one was moving and she looked at them.

"Ed, you have to lead the way," Falman told her and she flushed slightly. She had thought to follow the others out. She bit her lip and left the compartment, walking to the door leading to the platform. She wasn't used to being out in front, and it got stranger when Falman reached past her to open the door. She shot him a quick look but he merely waved her forward with a small gesture. She went down the steps and moved away to give the others room. She looked around and heard her name being called.

A thin young man was striding towards her and she grinned and waved.

"Ralke!"

"Hey Ed!" He smiled widely as he got closer and stopped to salute her before accepting the hand she extended.

"You've come to meet us?" She asked as she turned slightly. "You remember Senior Warrant Officer Falman? And here is Captain Grant and First-Lieutenant Feld as well. Gentlemen, Major Gray, Hydro Alchemist." She watched as they all saluted and shook hands.

"Yes, I'm meeting you, because the First-Lieutenant has no idea what you look like. But he's waiting out with the car. We're to go to Headquarters first, General Sarin wants to meet you and then Van and I can show you where you're staying."

"Sounds good. How is Van?"

"He's fine."

Edward kept pace beside him and it didn't take them long to reach the exits where a small man leant against a car, obviously waiting for them. He stood up and saluted before opening the doors. It was cramped but they managed to squeeze in. Ralke sat in the front and half-turned around to continue talking.

"I did ask for two cars, but that explosion took out several of the other vehicles so we just don't have any spare cars at all."

"How bad was the explosion?" Ed asked.

"Pretty bad. It's left a sizeable crater and debris was scattered quite a ways from it."

"Any casualties?"

"One dead and three with minor injuries." Ralke leant his chin on the back of his seat. "They were very lucky. Ten minutes later there was to have been an inspection by the General as well as a refresher group going through."

"Ralke, all we got told was that there had been an explosion and several machine shops had been destroyed and that no-one knew why."

"That's all anyone seems to know, Ed." Ralke shrugged. "The General's been questioning everyone who'd been near the place and no-one has admitted to doing anything stupid."

"Any strangers around?"

"No, we've been looking as well. Nothing. It just blew up."

"Alchemy?"

"I couldn't see any signs of it. We had to move the debris and I kept looking to see if there were any marks but again, nothing."

"Well we can't do anything until we see it as well. Thanks Ralke."

"You're welcome. So how long are you staying for?"

"For however long it takes I guess. They just said go and find out."

"It's not a bad place, although I know I have nothing to compare it to."

"The weather here is better than that at East City," Edward said and Falman nodded agreement.

The car drove smoothly through the gates to South Headquarters and they crawled out of the car. Several gasps rose from the others and Edward looked at them. They were staring at the huge building with wide eyes. She turned to look as well, seeing several uniforms coming towards them before she looked upwards and quickly spotted the strange, almost growth-like bulge close to the top of the building. She started laughing.

"Ed?" Ralke hadn't seen anyone laugh at it before. Most people were stunned into silence.

"Why was that left there?" She asked, her eyes alight with her laughter.

"That is no laughing matter, Lieutenant-Colonel." She turned at the new voice and met the stern gaze of a General. She looked at him appraisingly. Rough grey hair and grey eyes stared back at her from a weathered face. "It was left there at the request of the person responsible."

Edward smiled. "Request?" She laughed and looked at the bulging wall again. "I can believe that. There never was any way to refuse a request from Izumi Curtis." She turned back to him. "I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Elric. I've been informed you had an explosion and we have been sent here to investigate. Falman." She held her hand out and Falman passed the official envelope to her, and she offered it to the General.

"You know of Izumi Curtis?" He took the sealed envelope and studied her. "There was a young man with her when she came to repair the damage. I think his name was Elric."

"Al was here? He never mentioned that." Edward frowned before focusing back on the General. "That would have been my brother, General. Teacher was always fond of him."

"Teacher?" It was the General's turn to frown.

"Yes, Izumi Curtis was our alchemy teacher." Edward waved a hand at the building. "Considering her views on the Military you were very lucky that she cleared the rest of it up."

"You saw the original damage?"

"Yes, things were rather hectic that day." Edward grinned slightly before it faded as she recalled what had followed. She shifted her hand on her suitcase, but kept her gaze steady.

"We can discuss this later." He turned away and indicated. Two Colonels stood there. "This is Colonel Becfor. He will be your liaison with my office and Colonel Stost is the head of our Research Department. He will be able to give what aid you might need there."

"Thank you Sir," Edward bowed her head slightly before waving a hand at the people beside her. "This is Captain Grant and First-Lieutenant Feld from Central Investigations. Senior Warrant Officer Falman is from Lieutenant-General Mustang's office. I believe Majors Gray and Dayel are to be seconded to us as well."

"Yes, they have been notified. First-Lieutenant Eryman will be available if you need a driver or for any general duties."

"Thank you Sir. Everything seems to be most satisfactory."

"I have had not only the Brigadier-General's staff, but the Fuhrer's office as well calling me over this matter. I want to know who has caused this just as much as they do. This is _my_ Command, Elric and I will not stand for any further destruction." General Sarin spoke harshly and Edward could almost see the obsessive gleam in the grey eyes.

"We will do all we can, Sir." She saluted him and turned slightly. "Where can we put our stuff so we can get started?"

"We've set aside some space in my department," Colonel Stost spoke up as he stepped forward. He turned to the General. "If you will excuse us, Sir?"

"Dismissed." The General accepted their salutes and Edward tilted her head to her small party and they began to follow the Colonel.

"Izumi Curtis was your Teacher?" Ralke asked as they walked along.

"Yep. The best alchemist I ever knew."

"There are all sorts of stories about her."

Ed smiled. "She could be very scary when she wanted to be." Edward laughed. "She put Al and me on an island for a month before she'd even begin to teach us."

"How did you survive?" Ralke stared at her.

"She gave us a knife," Ed shrugged. "I could probably still cook a reasonable barbecued snake."

"You're joking?" Ralke spluttered and she looked around and caught several wild eyes staring at her.

"Sorry Ralke, but I'm not joking. Fish, rabbit and snake were the main choices we had."

"That's disgusting! How old were you?"

"Ten." She looked at Ralke. "Teacher knew what she was doing. Alchemy is not something to be taken lightly and she made sure Al and I knew that." Her expression was serious and there were depths to her eyes he hadn't noticed before. She shook her head slightly and the shadows disappeared, as her smile reappeared. "You should have seen the beating we got when she found out I had joined the Military."

* * *

Roy put the phone down and grinned to himself. _Ah Edward, if it didn't sound so sappy I'd say you really do brighten my day. Certainly your activities do._ He stood up, walking to the doorway and looked at Havoc and Breda. He leant against the jamb.

"I have just received a call regarding events that occurred on an express train to South City."

They looked at each other and then at him. Hawkeye and Fuery smiled and waited.

"According a Major whose name escapes me, a Lieutenant-Colonel Elric supplied alcohol to his newly enlisted recruits as well as his most trusted Sergeant. The Major also states that the Lieutenant-Colonel threatened him when he protested at such unmilitary conduct although he didn't specify the exact nature of the threat. He doesn't know how she got access to the alcohol as the military supplies were not breached. He tells me he did check that. He requested that I take suitable disciplinary steps to curb the Lieutenant-Colonel's behaviour." Roy stopped as they all started to laugh. They all knew that you couldn't control Edward Elric that way. Even Roy knew that discipline was not how you treated Edward. There were other, more effective methods.

"I'd say that an official complaint makes me the winner," Breda said when he stopped laughing.

"It's not an official complaint, Breda. The guy's just rung up to complain. Official complaints have paperwork attached to them."

"I talked him out of filling in that paperwork, Havoc," Roy said slowly and they looked at him. He nodded. "Yes, he had been ready to make it as official as it could get."

"Surely that's a bit harsh, Chief?" Havoc queried, frowning. "That doesn't sound much like Ed. Except for the threatening bit."

"I don't know and I'm not going to do anything until I hear from Edward. Then I'll have a better idea of what happened." Roy frowned. "They're in South HQ by now. When are we due to get a call from them?"

"Nineteen hundred hours," Fuery said. "Falman will be calling in."

"I'll take it tonight," Roy said thoughtfully. "Falman should be able to tell me more as well."

* * *

Edward stared at her reflection. She had finally managed to get to a mirror and was able to see the mark at her neck. Black shaded blue and the small discolouration around the edges from the time passed. It wasn't as big as it had seemed and it wasn't lumpy or tender anymore. But she could feel it and she still remembered exactly how she had felt when he had done it.

She let go of the skivvy neck and the mark disappeared beneath the black material. She pulled out her watch and checked the time. Another half an hour and Falman would be calling Central. She put her watch away and straightened her shirt and jacket. She left the bathroom and headed towards the office they had been given. She'd see if Falman could get her some time to talk to Roy.

* * *

-

In Germany, moonshine is called _Schwarzgebrannter_. The term is very often translated "black burned" since the word _schwarz_ means black, but in this case schwarz means illegal (as in black market).

Author's Note: Happy birthday to the monster… A year ago I started this and I never intended it to get to anywhere near this size. It was my third fic and I had no idea what I was getting into… I had two reviews for my first chapter and I thought it was wonderful… I still think it's wonderful and I really appreciate knowing that you like this monster…

To bar, who still reviews after all this time, thank you… to Mary who came in at about chapter 5 or 6, and who threatens to translate this monster into Spanish one day, thank you as well – her reviews are as long as some of my chapters…and to Caspian as well, who puts just as much effort into reviewing… and to the demon, Spirix, who got dragged into this strange place called fluff and likes it really, no matter how many times she tries to deny it… the day you write femEd is the day I write adventure, demon…grins…

To MuseOfMyths who is translating this into Finnish and to the people who have drawn fan art – and I have them listed on my profile – I really can't say thank you enough… drawing is the one skill I really wish I had…

To all the others that review and comment and don't mind me waffling through chapter after chapter, I am really grateful… when I don't want to or feel too lazy to write, it is because I know you are there waiting that keeps me going…

To everyone… thank you… arigato…

silken :)


	34. In Two Different Places

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 34: In Two Different Places  
**

"…_a serious breach of regulations, Fullmetal."_ The cool voice was clear in her ear and she scowled as she listened. "You of all people should be well aware of how vulnerable trains are."

"Nothing was going to…" she began, wincing at his reference, remembering exactly what had happened that last time.

"_You don't know that. Just because nothing happened this time does not mean there will not be incidents in the future. Or did you forget that you were on your way to investigate a fatal explosion?" _The Lieutenant-General spoke firmly. _"You can never assume that just because things seem peaceful, there are no threats that might appear."_

Edward was glad she was on the phone and not standing in front of his desk as he lectured her. She could feel the heat of a flush across her face and was finding it hard to sit still as the pangs of guilt kept attacking with his words. It was made worse because she knew he was right. About the only good thing was there was no-one else around her. Falman had left the room after handing her the phone. But the others were probably listening in at the other end.

She sighed silently. You'd think they'd heard her get lectured by the bastard too many times for Ed to feel embarrassed anymore, but she still felt the shame whenever it happened. She was never going to admit that she had been too young when she had first joined, and she was never going to admit that those lectures on her misconduct had developed and strengthened her deep sense of just what was right and what was wrong. The Colonel had never used only words in those lectures. His posture, the tone of his voice and even the look in his eyes had all contributed. As Edward had grown older he had unconsciously learnt to read those signs as well, and as she listened now she could picture exactly the expressions on his face and the way he would be moving in his chair.

"…_do you understand, Fullmetal?"_

"Yes Sir."

She hadn't expected to get lectured when she had finally reached the office where Falman had already been talking to the Lieutenant-General. She had been intending to get some satisfaction about the hick… bite mark on her neck. She wasn't going to call it a hickey, that sounded stupid and to say love bite was worse. He had bitten her therefore it was a bite mark. The sucking that had gone along with the biting was to be ignored. Except that every now and again her hand would creep up and press at the spot and she'd feel the remembered warmth of his mouth there.

The short walk to their temporary office had taken longer because she had been waylaid by Ralke asking her to have dinner with him and Van in the Mess later on. Then she had been stopped by Colonel Becfor wanting to know if the arrangements were satisfactory. By the time she had managed to escape it was fifteen minutes past the time of the scheduled call and she had hurried to the office hoping she wasn't too late. She hadn't missed his call but as soon as he had started she had had a brief wish that she had been late after all. Except that even as he lectured her she could feel herself listening to the sounds of voice.

Roy Mustang was becoming her exception to every rule.

* * *

Roy listened to her replies and explanations and was aware that Edward had definitely changed. Matured even. Gone were the impassioned, almost mindless outbursts of reflexive denials. Now she was accepting his strictures in a begrudging voice and he wondered how much of that tone was habit. His comments had struck home and they both knew it. But Roy knew Edward would always acknowledge when she was in the wrong even if she never admitted it to anyone but herself. And she wouldn't hold it against him later. For which he was very grateful. He hadn't given much thought to how their new relationship was going to be affected by their positions and he suddenly realised that it could become tricky if he wasn't careful. Edward had never cared much about rank, but that could change now.

"The Major's not going to press for further action to be taken against you," he said when Edward stopped talking. "And as long as you don't do it again this matter shouldn't have to be discussed again."

"_Yes Sir."_

"Good. On to other matters then. Falman says everything is fine."

"_Yes it is. We should be able to get started properly tomorrow. They've given us lab space so we can do what tests are needed here and hopefully get some fast results. General Sarin seems to want to know just as much as the Fuhrer does."_

"Incidents like this always get people worried and they want quick answers. Don't let him hurry you too much if he gets pushy. You can make mistakes if that happens. If you need extra time, let me know. The Fuhrer and I will back you up. We want the truth not something that another day would have disproved."

"_I can handle him and I know not to rush things."_ Roy stifled the laugh that bubbled at the back of his throat. To hear Edward talking of not rushing into something that he was hard-pressed to imagine. _"Don't laugh bastard! This is the same as research, I don't rush that!"_

"I know," Roy replied, his voice filled with amusement. He had no real worries that she would allow herself or any of the others to be anything less than completely sure of whatever had happened there. He wasn't about to tell her that he did trust her with this. Edward worked better when she thought she had to prove someone wrong. Especially when that someone was him.

"_You worry too much, bastard,"_ Edward's cheery voice echoed in his ear and he smiled.

"I have a present for you," he told her and could almost see her puzzled frown in response.

"_What the hell are you talking about?" _

"Councillor Kinase called earlier."

"_What did that asshole want?"_ Edward's voice went flat in his ear.

"Because of the circumstances, he's quite happy to give you extra time to complete that report."

"_He what?"_ Roy could hear her outrage loud and clear in her raised voice and he smirked. _"That fucking asshole! He can't do that!"_

"Actually he can. And he also said to expect a visit from the South City Commissioner who is going to want to know all about the subject as well."

"_You are fucking joking me. Why me?"_

"Because you are going to be the next liaison. The Fuhrer rang me this afternoon to inform of it. He has asked that I assist both him and the Councillor in making sure you are fit for the position." Roy smirked again as he heard incoherent mumblings in his ear. "And, Edward?"

"_What?"_ she almost snarled back at him.

"Alchemy does not travel through phone lines, so you'll need to find another way to thank me for your present." His smirk was wider and he knew she would be aware of it.

"_You… you… you're enjoying this, you bastard! The only present you're going to get is my fist, you smirking arrogant Co…"_ There was a pause and Roy waited expectantly, leaning back in his chair, his smirk fading into a smile. _"… and dammit, be a Colonel again! Lieutenant-General doesn't work when I want to yell at you!"_

Roy laughed. From the sounds of her voice he could picture exactly the expressions that would be showing on her face. And she never looked more alive than when she was yelling and ranting at him. Laughing was not something he had done when Edward had been growing up. The boy would have seen that as much of a personal insult as he had the smirk, so Roy had always waited until after Ed had left before allowing any of his amusement to show. But this Edward was different. She didn't let his smirk send her into a rant every time. She smirked right back at him and she did it a lot better than she ever used to.

"You can call me Colonel whenever you want, Edward," he heard himself say before he knew what he was doing. Her retort came back quick and blunt.

"_I don't need your permission for that! I'll call you whatever I want." _Roy could hear the unspoken 'so there' that she didn't add and he leant further back in his chair. He had missed her. That conversation from the train had been too short and it had lacked the closeness he felt now. It was easing the tension he had felt throughout the day. Even knowing exactly where she was hadn't stopped him from feeling unsettled at the distance between them. He had never felt like this before, even when he had been the one away.

"…_oy…Roy?" _ He blinked as he heard his name and tried to concentrate again.

"What is it, Edward?"

"_I was asking how Al was, but you weren't answering. Is everything alright?" _

"Yes, everything's fine, I just thought of something that's all. Al is good. He called in today and said to say hello."

"_That's good. I was thinking of coming back through Resembool when we finished here."_

"I'm not sure if you can. The Fuhrer will be waiting for your report."

"_He'll know what's going to be in it with all the information we give to you. Aren't you supposed to be forwarding this stuff along to him?"_

"Yes, but that's not the same as the final completed report. Which is what he will be expecting you to personally hand in."

Roy could hear Edward breathing and what sounded like a reluctant rumble from her throat. He knew she would be struggling between her wanting to see Al and her sense of duty. He had always known that Edward Elric had a strong sense of duty and obligation. In the beginning that force and will had been focused solely on Al and the restoration of their bodies. The night of the civic dinner he had realised that she had started to bring that focus to bear on her military service.

"_Maybe I'll see if Al can come visit here for a day or so."_

"I'm sure he would," Roy replied as he heard the acceptance of duty over family in her voice. He made a mental note to suggest that Al go to South City before going home the next time he saw him.

"_I've gotta go. Having dinner in the mess." _Her voice trailed off slightly and he frowned. He got the impression there was something more she wanted to say. He didn't want her to leave yet either. He wanted to stay and talk further.

"Will you be ringing in tomorrow night?" he asked as he tried to think of something to say to keep her with him.

"…_I thought Falman was doing that." _There was a hesitancy in her voice and a hopeful lift that his ears prickled at hearing.

"No, he doesn't have to. You and I are more than capable of handling the reports." He tried to keep his voice even but he wasn't sure if he managed it.

"_Then…I'll call tomorrow night at seven."_

"I'll be waiting."

"_You'd better or else."_

"Or else what? I've already told you alchemy doesn't work over the phone." Roy smiled. "Take care, Edward." His voice dropped and softened.

"_You too, Roy." _There was a small pause. _"I miss you. G'night."_ The words were hurried and followed by an abrupt click and Roy smiled. Edward must be blushing and embarrassed, but he leant back feeling a warmth from her simple words. He hadn't been sure just how comfortable Edward was with how things were between them. She wasn't actively denying it but she hadn't seemed to be accepting it either. But at least she wasn't hiding away completely from what she was feeling, and she might be embarrassed but she wasn't scared to tell him and that was something he was very happy to know.

"I miss you too," he told the dead receiver. "I like you, I miss you."

* * *

Edward stared at the phone and placed her hands on her cheeks. They felt warm and she sighed. Just as she had thought. She was blushing. _Stupid, stupid_, she castigated herself. _It's just a simple thing to say and you're embarrassed? You said it before and it's true, so why am I so damned embarrassed about it? You didn't even wait to hear if he'd say it too. Stupid, stupid._

"Of course, _he_ would have said it. He always knows what to say," she muttered as she dropped her hands and stood up.

"You ok, Boss?" Falman asked from the door. She looked up at him and smiled wryly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Another lecture?" Falman queried gently recognising the signs and she nodded.

"Yep. He can always find something although this time I really screwed up."

"I should have been more aware of the situation as well, Sir."

Edward shook her head. "No, the blame is mine on this one. I can't behave as I used to. I have to realise what responsibilities I have now."

Falman saw Edward's shoulders lift and her face relaxed slightly. He had left the room to give her some privacy as she spoke to the Lieutenant-General. He had already heard the Lieutenant-General's opinion on his own behaviour and had known Edward would be subjected to a similar talk. He hadn't left to avoid hearing that part of their conversation but so as not to hear whatever they might say after that. When he had gone on the trip with Mustang to the Western Districts he had seen how relaxed the man had become after talking to Edward at the end of each day. At the time he hadn't bothered to consider why that was so, but this time he understood exactly what was happening, and he reasoned that if it had worked for Mustang, it would work for Edward.

"Perhaps you should call in the report tomorrow, Boss," Falman said calmly and saw Edward blink in surprise at him. Her mouth dropped open slightly and nothing came out, but a wave of red washed across her face. Falman kept his smile well-hidden. "I'm sure the Lieutenant-General would much prefer talking to you than to me."

"You…" Edward's face grew brighter and she dropped back into her chair, hiding her face in her hands for a brief moment before she lifted her burning face. "How you can stand there and talk like that is beyond me, Falman. I can't wait until this happens to you."

Falman looked horrified. "I doubt the occurrence of such circumstances affecting me."

"You just wait, Falman." Edward stood up, a smirk gracing her lips as she walked around the desk. "All those long fancy words you like to hide behind are going to get lost beneath a stuttering lump of confusion, the likes of which you have never seen."

"You are trying to scare me."

"You'll wish I was, but as someone once said to me, you don't get a choice when it comes to being attracted to someone. Once it's got you, you're stuck." Edward patted Falman on the shoulder as she went past him. "I'm off to dinner with Ralke and Van. See you later."

Falman turned slowly and looked at the empty doorway after she had left. He shook his head. It wasn't going to happen to him. And if it did there was no way that he would ever become so muddled in his thinking.

* * *

General Sarin sat at his desk the next morning, a slim folder on his desk and looked at Colonel Becfor.

"I want a check done on this Edward Elric." The General's voice was low and quiet.

"Yes, Sir." Becfor made a note on the pad he carried. "Anything in particular you want me to investigate?"

"Yes. She said she was here at the same time as Izumi Curtis was. There were reported sightings of the Fuhrer that day and they were proven false. I want to know if Edward Elric was actually here. And this matter of a supposed gender change. Find out more about that as well." General Sarin frowned. "The file they sent contains information on them all but hers seems almost fantastical. I want to know the truth about her. I want to know exactly what kind of person we are dealing with here."

"She seemed very confident and she appears to have the full support of Central."

"Precisely." Sarin looked at Becfor. "For anyone to have such backing, there must be a reason for it and I want to know what that reason is."

* * *

Colonel Stost walked towards the bomb site. His steps were measured as he looked around. He could see the grey haired Warrant Officer taking notes as the tall First-Lieutenant from Investigations dictated and sorted through a pile of cleared debris. Major Dayel suddenly appeared from the wide hole dragging a twisted beam behind him. The Colonel watched as he dragged it to where the First-Lieutenant was.

"Where's the Lieutenant-Colonel?" he asked as he got close.

"She's down in the hole, Sir," Major Dayel replied with a sideways bob of his head.

"Thank you Major." Stost nodded and walked across to the pit and stared down into the wide depression. About ten feet deep it was closer to thirty in diameter. The floor was uneven with clumps of debris and the remains of foundations. Stost saw the other Major lifting some rubble and studying it carefully before he tossed it onto one of the piles. Captain Grant was also examining some of the debris and Stost's eyes focused on the third person there. The blonde hair fell in a long tight braid down her back. She wasn't wearing her jacket and her shirt was looking grey even from this distance. He watched as she pulled and a beam began to appear from the wall she was facing as she stepped back with a steady pace. With apparent ease she held it steady as more of it appeared and when the other end appeared, Stost could see her stance shift as the weight changed. She let the end touch the ground and took a few steps along its length before she bent slightly and hoisted it onto her right shoulder. Carefully turning she headed towards a small ramp that led out of the hole. Stost managed to clear the amazement from his face as he walked around to intercept her as she came out of the pit.

"Lieutenant-Colonel," he said politely to get her attention and her head turned. He could see dirt smudged on one cheek and her gloves were the same grey as the beam she was carrying.

"Colonel. Good morning." Edward was equally polite in her response.

"You must have started early," Stost remarked. It was barely after nine.

"Yes. No point in wasting time." _And your General seems to be an impatient man,_ Edward didn't say.

"Will you need any more helpers?"

Edward walked across to the area where the other beam had been placed and she lowered hers down beside it. She looked at the debris laying there. "It wouldn't hurt to have a few more. If they can read the plans we have that would be even more helpful."

"What plans do you have?"

"Colonel Becfor gave us the building plans for what this used to be. We want to account for everything."

"Will you be able to do that?"

"No, but we'll be able to account for most of it. Because we don't know what caused it we have to start this way. If we can find something that doesn't belong here then we'll have a better idea of what happened."

"And if you can't?"

"Then we can look at what we have and see if there's another cause." Edward looked at him. "Its tedious and boring but its all we can do at this point."

"What about alchemy?"

Edward took a deep breath. "We could repair the damage but we'd never know what caused it. Any foreign substances would get used up in the reconstruction. And if alchemy caused the explosion then we have to check all the debris for any circles or markings."

Colonel Stost looked at the blonde and then around him. "I'll get some people in to help. Debris was fairly widespread and we had some of the newer soldiers clearing the area, and their orders were just to pile it here until further investigations could be done."

"Any of them will do if they can sort it according to the plans. Van can oversee them if they run into problems."

Colonel Stost wondered at the easy manner of the Lieutenant-Colonel. She didn't seem the least bit concerned at the amount of work ahead of her and appeared completely comfortable with the idea of having extra workers and assigning others to tasks. He wondered if she really was as young as she looked. He had been told that she was supposed to be the Fullmetal Alchemist, she had been in the Military since she was twelve and that she had once been male. And now he couldn't reconcile any of that story to the reality standing in front of him. Even the chain at her hip was short as it disappeared into her pocket. Was there even a watch attached to it he wondered. Yesterday he had heard her telling the others a little bit about Izumi Curtis and he wondered if that sort of upbringing had contributed to the confidence he sensed now. It was easier to believe that than to accept the other story.

"Your lab can test anything we're not sure of, can't it, Colonel?" Edward's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Certainly, Lieutenant-Colonel. Just send whatever it is and we'll analyse it for you."

"Thank you, Sir." Edward looked over her shoulder quickly and then back at him. "Uh, if you'll excuse me now, I really should get back to work."

"Yes, of course and I will have some extra men here for you shortly."

"Thank you Sir," Edward repeated and saluted before turning away and heading back into the hole.

The Colonel stood for a moment before walking away towards his office and a phone to organise the extra help he had promised. He frowned as he walked. Just what kind of person was this Lieutenant-Colonel? He couldn't figure her out.

* * *

"Boss!"

Edward looked up at the shout and saw Falman waving at her from the other side of the pit. She lifted a hand in acknowledgement and began walking to the ramp that led to the surface. She could see the new faces as she appeared. The soldiers the Colonel had promised had arrived. Edward wiped the back of her hand across her forehead as she approached and was completely oblivious to the smeared mark the dirt from her glove left. She looked for the ranking officer and a sergeant stepped forward.

"I'm Sergeant Tyler."

"I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Elric," she said. "Did the Colonel tell you what I wanted?"

"No Ma'am," the Sergeant replied and Edward's face twisted. She was never going to feel comfortable with that form of address.

"Call me Sir, Sergeant. I don't answer to Ma'am," she said firmly. "What I need is for you and the others to help sort out the debris we have here. Can any of you read structural drawings?"

"I can," the Sergeant replied and a couple of hands went up behind him.

"That's good. If you can match what we have to the plans then we'll be able to get this done quicker." Ed turned away for moment. "Hey Van!" she called and the alchemist came over.

"What's up, Ed?"

"This is Sergeant Tyler." Edward turned back to the Sergeant. "Tyler, this is Major Dayel. He'll be overseeing you if there are any problems." Ed frowned. "I need some paper. Hang on for a moment." She turned away again. "Falman! Do you have any spare paper?"

"Yes Sir." Falman headed to the makeshift desk he had set up and Ed followed him.

"Are the plans here as well?" she asked as she looked at the neatly stacked piles.

"Yes," he replied as she handed her several sheets of paper.

"Good. I'll make some copies of them," she said as she picked up a pen and broke it open.

"That was my pen, Boss."

"I need the ink," was all Ed said as she let it drip onto the blank sheets. She studied the plans and then clapped and placed her fingers on two of the pages. Beneath the flaring light Falman could see the ink moving across the page. It slipped into lines and words to match the original plans. He looked at Ed and saw her staring at the pages. The lack of any apparent preparation always made her alchemy seem so casual but the longer she kept the array powered up and as the ink spread onto the other pages, the more he could see the intense concentration in that deceptive stare. The light died suddenly and Falman looked at the immaculate copies.

"That's a neat trick," Van remarked. He had wandered over once he had seen the alchemic flares ignite.

"It's come in handy a few times," Ed said with a slight grin.

"And the array is a deep dark secret?" Van asked.

"Not really, but you have to redraw each time it to accommodate the patterns you want the ink to make."

"That sounds too much like hard work," Van replied and then he looked at her. "You don't have to actually draw an array, but you still have to calculate and imagine it in your mind, don't you?"

Ed nodded. "That's basically what I do, yes."

"Basically?" Van frowned.

"Alchemy has three stages. Understanding, deconstruction and reconstruction and you do all three in sequence when you work out an array. The moment I engage my will, even before I clap, the process starts and I go through the three stages almost simultaneously, so by the time I place my hands, it's all in place."

Van stared at her. "But that's ... hell, you'd have to know the structure of _everything_."

"Not really. Most of that sort of alchemy is done as a last resort or on the run, and if you can recognise some of the elements in an item then you can transmute using only them. As long as it does what you need at the time, then it doesn't matter if it doesn't last." Ed looked at her gloved hands and lifted them in a gentle clap. The dirt flared and disappeared and they were clean. "Some things I've done so often I don't even have to think of how it works any more. But for the first time I did calculate exactly what my gloves were made of."

"What was the exchange?" Ralke's voice suddenly asked and they turned to see where he had approached unnoticed as they had talked.

"More than I ever want to remember," Ed said abruptly, her eyes becoming grim as her face paled slightly. Falman looked from her shadowed face to the other two who were beginning to look as if they wished they hadn't asked.

"Time to get back work, Sirs," he said briskly and they all blinked at him. Ralke and Van nodded. Edward was slightly slower than they were to acknowledge Falman's words.

"Okay, Falman." She picked up the copies of the plans. "These can go to those that can read them."

"I'll get them to set the identified remains out to match these. It will make it easier for the First-Lieutenant if he can see the pieces like that."

"I'll go back into the pit," Ralke said and headed back to the hole in ground.

"I'll get that Sergeant Tyler to start getting his men ready." Van walked away and Falman met the amused golden eyes.

"How subtle they are." She let her breath out. "But I am alright."

"I know, Boss." Falman smiled slightly and her face cleared as she turned to go to the pit as well.

"Thanks Falman." The quiet words floated over her shoulder as she went and Falman's smile widened.

* * *

Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang was trying hard to concentrate on his paperwork and not on what Edward might be doing. The files that usually took him ten minutes to get through were taking double that and several times he had flung his pen down in disgust. He was confused as to why Edward was taking up so much of his thoughts simply because she wasn't in Central.

A long forgotten phrase his grandmother had sometimes used was echoing in his head. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' He had never realised just how heavy that phrase could be. When Edward had disappeared for those four long years he hadn't felt the pangs he felt now. He'd had other concerns and his own nightmares to hide in. But now he felt as if he'd been left behind and abandoned. It was illogical and irrational and it was beginning to make him irritable. _I'll be speaking to her tonight! There's no reason for me to be this way. _

Hawkeye's appearance at his door was for once a welcome distraction, even if she was carrying several files.

"You are required to assist with the inspections of Research and Armoury on Friday." Roy sighed as he accepted the file. At least he had only been assigned one day this year. Last year he had spent most of a week touring the complex.

"And the inspection of this office?"

"Has been put back to Monday. The furniture for the new office will be arriving tomorrow and while you are doing the inspections we will move the office over." She dropped a file on his desk. "These are the latest forms for the new office."

"My couches?" he asked with a straight face.

"Will be moved tomorrow," she replied with her usual composure. "I have organised several helpers. And I have requested that Sergeant Berent be assigned to the office," she told him as she handed him another file.

"I vaguely recall him."

"He should be able to cope, once he gets used to us, and with Falman away, we do need someone assigned here as soon as possible."

"I have no objections to him. When does he start?"

"Tomorrow, Sir."

Roy looked at his shelves and the thought that he could get out of several hours of paperwork by packing them crossed his mind.

"Alphonse has volunteered to take care of your books, Sir. Neither of us would wish to see you fall too far behind in your duties."

"How generous of you both," he said in a light sarcastic tone and she smiled at him.

"It was a nice try, Sir," she told him with approval as she left the office. He contented himself with a grimace at her back. He looked at the remaining files and sighed before taking a deep breath and opening the first one with a determined look on his face. Golden eyes grinned at him and he swore under his breath as he tried to banish the image from his mind.

* * *

Sergeant Tyler and several of his soldiers sat on the ground leaning against one of the remaining walls of the destroyed building. It was mid-afternoon and they were taking a short break. Water and fruit had been supplied by the grey haired Warrant Officer.

"Is she really a Lieutenant-Colonel?" One of the soldiers asked as they watched the blonde appear from the pit carrying another piece of debris.

"That's what they tell me," Tyler replied.

"Is she a State Alchemist?" another asked.

"I've never heard of a female State Alchemist before." Tyler watched her carefully as she spoke briefly with Major Ralke.

"She can use it though. We saw that earlier. Maybe she's just never taken the exam."

"But there's a bit of chain at her hip." Tyler noted.

"You think there's a watch attached to it, Sir?" One of the soldiers asked as he looked at the Lieutenant-Colonel more closely.

"I don't know. It's not looped like most alchemists wear it."

There was a small moment of silence.

"Why does she wear those gloves? Why doesn't she use the thicker ones like we do?"

Tyler shrugged. He didn't know why either. There was a lot he didn't know when it came to the Lieutenant-Colonel. He didn't even know her full name and he had heard one of the Majors call her 'Ed' which had struck him as a strange name for a woman. Whenever the others spoke of her she was always referred to as 'the Lieutenant-Colonel' as if her actual name was completely irrelevant, or just too well known to mention. Which was alright for them, Tyler thought. _But it doesn't help me who's never met her before. _

For an officer she wasn't afraid of the hard work. She was probably the dirtiest of them all. And she was stronger than he had ever thought a woman could be. He hadn't heard her complain or even raise her voice. He hadn't seen her stop to rest either. She was the most curious Lieutenant-Colonel he had ever seen.

The sound of pounding boots had the soldiers turning to look. A young private was heading towards them.

"A message for Lieutenant-Colonel Elric," he panted as he came to a stop and looked around.

"That's me," the blonde said and Tyler perked his ears up. He had heard that name before as had several of his soldiers judging from their sudden stillness.

"I've heard some stories about a kid called Elric. But that was at least four, five years ago," one of the soldiers muttered.

"So have I," Tyler replied. "He was supposed to have been the youngest ever State Alchemist. He died about the same time as the last Fuhrer did."

"You think she's related to him?" someone asked.

"It's possible."

"Fucking shit!" The soldiers stared at the Lieutenant-Colonel who was staring at the paper in her hand with an expression of disgust.

"What's wrong, Sir?" The grey-haired warrant Officer asked and they wondered how he could remain calm as the paper was flung at him and dirty gloved hands tugged at an equally dusty braid.

"That fucking asshole has sent some damned fancy Commissioner over to talk to me!" The Lieutenant-Colonel growled. "He knows I'm busy." She tugged at her braid again. "The bastard said something about it last night but I didn't think it would happen this soon."

"You need to get cleaned up," Falman informed her after reading the page and ignoring her tirade.

"I need you to go and get rid of him," the Lieutenant-Colonel retorted with a deep scowl.

"You couldn't possibly let the Lieutenant-General down like that," the Warrant Officer's voice was firm and they saw the scowl get darker.

"That's not fair, Falman."

"I'm not paid to be fair, Boss."

Gloved hands were flung upwards. "Fine, I'll go!"

"After you've cleaned up."

"You're worse than Al," the Lieutenant-Colonel complained as she suddenly clapped her hands and placed them on her clothes. Alchemy flared and when it died down, her uniform was spotless.

"Your jacket, Ed." They watched as Major Grey tossed her the blue jacket with a wide grin. She shrugged into it and they saw the insignia.

"Don't look so happy about this, Ralke," the Lieutenant-Colonel informed him. "You get to finish clearing that section I was working on."

"I've got my own bit to finish, but I'll make sure your area is kept just as you left it waiting for your return." The Major was very brave, Tyler decided as he watched the Lieutenant-Colonel glower at the man.

"Wipe your face and fix your hair." The Warrant Officer held out a damp cloth and the Lieutenant-Colonel groaned as she accepted it.

"Did you do this for the bastard as well?"

"No, Boss. Only you get this dirty."

"Next time I think I want Fuery to accompany me."

"I'm sure Fuery would appreciate the opportunity," and they all saw the Lieutenant-Colonel's shoulders slump and her head drop at the bland reply.

Tyler saw that the two Majors were trying hard not to laugh and the Warrant Officer had a small smile on his face as well. The officers from the Investigations Department looked amused at the Lieutenant-Colonel's behaviour as well. He felt amused as well, but also more confused.

"Someone's coming," one of the soldiers with Tyler said and everyone turned to see a civilian approaching flanked by a Colonel. Tyler watched as the Warrant Officer stood in front of the Lieutenant-Colonel and he barely saw the glow of alchemy before the man moved aside and the Lieutenant-Colonel stood there. Her face and hair was as clean as her uniform and there was no trace of anything but interest on her face as the newcomers came closer.

"Colonel Becfor." The Lieutenant-Colonel saluted.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Elric," he nodded in acknowledgement. "This is Councillor Locke."

"A pleasure to meet you Councillor." Tyler frowned as he noticed she extended her left hand for the Councillor to shake.

"First Councillor Kinase has told me much about you, Lieutenant-Colonel. I am pleased to meet you."

"Councillor Kinase talks too much," the Lieutenant-Colonel said in a voice as bland as the Warrant Officer's had been earlier.

"He does sometimes," the Councillor said with a smile.

"I have a room set up where you may continue," Colonel Becfor informed them.

"Thank you Colonel." The Councillor turned to the Lieutenant-Colonel. "Shall we go, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"Yes Sir." The Lieutenant-Colonel exchanged a quick look with the Warrant Officer and he nodded as she turned and left with the other two.

"What was all that about?" Tyler asked as soon as he thought they were out of earshot.

"I would say that the Lieutenant-Colonel has information that this Councillor wants," Falman mused.

"Do you know what it is?" Ralke asked.

"No, Major," Falman replied as he shook his head slowly. "Neither the Lieutenant-General or Lieutenant-Colonel informed me of this."

"Councillor Locke is a pretty important person around these parts," Tyler said.

"Councillor Kinase runs Central City and most of the rest of the country too," Van added.

"Ed's getting into some strange places," Ralke said thoughtfully.

Falman listened to them. Edward Elric had already been to some very strange places although he wasn't about to mention that. And things happened around her. He had noticed it in the past. Nothing ever stayed simple when Edward got involved. Whether it was coincidence or some innate talent she had, he didn't know. And it was happening again. Ever since her return, things had been changing.

"She can handle it," Van said and Ralke nodded. Falman nodded as well, smiling inside. It was amusing to see the two who had known her for only a few weeks expressing their confidence in her as if they'd known her for years. Falman knew she would be more than capable of managing whatever it was she was doing, he was more concerned with _how_ she would do it. Edward was not known for being orthodox.

"Is the Lieutenant-Colonel related to Edward Elric?" Tyler's hesitant voice asked and Ralke and Van turned to stare at him.

"Not exactly," Ralke began.

* * *

Edward slumped into the chair as soon as the door closed behind the South City Councillor and Colonel Becfor. She stretched her legs out and let her arms hang loose at her sides.

For an hour she had sat there and talked about everything that had been covered at the civic dinner. The changes to State Alchemy and Alchemists had been the Councillor's main concern, but he hadn't been slow asking about her own changes and she had noticed the Colonel listening avidly to all that had been said. She wondered how long it would be before General Sarin knew all that had been said. The Colonel struck her as the faithful to his master kind of soldier. And she had no doubts as to who was the master here.

She had surprised herself with just how much she had recalled from those speeches. She sighed. She'd have to write that report for the asshole tonight. It had been rather a shock to hear him referred to as First Councillor and even more so when Councillor Locke had mentioned that Kinase had oversight of all the other Councillors. She had thought that his position had only been relevant to Central, not to the whole damned country. It made her aware of just how much she didn't know about the way the country was run.

The Fuhrer was both Head of State and the Military. And whenever she did think about him, it was always in terms of his military position. She hadn't considered the other duties and responsibilities that might go with that title. No wonder the asshole was objecting to her being appointed a liaison. She had thought he had been trying to scare her when he had told her what the position meant and he had. But he hadn't gone as far as he could have and she wondered if that had been a deliberate decision on his side. Had he thought that saying more would not have made a difference? Or had he realised, like she had, that regardless what either of them felt about it, the decision had been made and they were unable to change it.

Which led her to wonder again why the Fuhrer had chosen her. The reasons she had listed during that dinner with Roy didn't seem enough now even though they had been logical assumptions at the time. The asshole had given her similar reasons as well, but was there more to it that she was unaware of? She scrunched her face up. She needed to talk to someone about this and the only one she wanted to talk to was Roy.

She sighed. She missed him and she was trying hard not to let herself get lost in thinking about him. The hard labour at the explosion site worked well as it allowed her to numb her mind down into a focused awareness of the wreckage only. But she knew the Roy-thoughts were waiting, ready to push themselves forward when her concentration slipped. Like now.

She wondered what he would be doing right now and grinned as she imagined him sitting at his desk, Hawkeye's gun at his forehead as he frantically did his paperwork. She looked at the clock on the wall. Just over three hours and she'd be able to talk to him again. There wouldn't be any definite results for the explosion but she had this meeting as something she could tell him about. It would give her a reason to prolong the call. A legitimate reason.

She wanted to hear his voice, even if it was another lecture. She wondered if they would slip into the easy routine they had established when he had gone on that trip. It would be nice if they could, but things had changed since then and Edward wasn't sure how they would affect the calls.

She had thought that not actually seeing him would make it easier to say certain things, but last night had disproven that theory. Something as simple as 'I miss you' had become nearly impossible to say. And the harder it felt to say the words, the more she wanted to say them.

It was a strange feeling to realise that she was scared of the words and in true Edward Elric fashion she wanted to just shout the words out in as defiant a manner as she could. Except she felt that doing so would render them meaningless and she didn't want that.

She grimaced at herself. This 'I like Roy' kept making her indecisive and unable to commit to any one course of action. That unsettled her just as much as the actual emotions did. Perhaps she should take advantage of the distance between them to try and get some kind of balance and to actually make a few decisions.

Except that she missed him, and a look at the clock told her that she had to wait another three hours, seven minutes and twenty five seconds before she could hear his voice. She groaned. Now that really was pathetic.

* * *

"…_anything definite yet?"_

"No," Edward leant back in the chair and lifted her booted feet onto the desk, the phone nestled by her ear. The office was empty and Roy's voice was warm. She felt herself relaxing and frowned slightly. She hadn't thought she'd been that tense. There really hadn't been anything that she had become overly worked up about. Even her reaction to the visit from the South City Councillor hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. If anything her day had been calmer than usual. "About all we can say so far is that it looks like it was just the one explosion. All the wreckage only shows signs of one blast."

"_And nothing to say what caused it?"_

"Not yet. The stuff we're looking at was scattered everywhere, we're still figuring out where all the pieces came from. We've pulled some out of the hole but it's going to take some time until we know."

"_Do you have enough people?"_

"Yeah. They gave us some today. They were a big help." And someone had been telling them stories, she was sure of that. They had seemed fine until she had come back from that meeting. They had stared at her and they had kept on staring. Nearly every time she had looked around she had found at least two pairs of eyes on her. No-one had said anything but there was curiousity in their looks. It had to have been either Ralke or Van who had said anything. She knew Falman's middle name was 'discretion'. The thought of him telling _any_ stories was right up there with Breda liking dogs, or Mustang liking paperwork. It was something that just didn't happen.

"_Can you judge how long you might be there for?"_

"No. I've never done this sort of thing before, bastard, you know that. It could be a week, or two for all I know."

"_I'm surprised you aren't working through the night."_

"Falman wouldn't let me." Edward grumbled slightly, missing the light facetious jibe. "He said he needed his sleep." Ed frowned. "Is he always so…so bossy when he goes on these trips?"

"_Yes, he is."_ She heard the laughter in his voice. _"Falman will always find a way to make you do exactly what he wants."_

"He just stands there and looks at me with that 'let's be reasonable' stare he has and that damned polite voice." Ed groaned. "How do you get past that without seeming like an unreasonable, irrational idiot?"

"_You don't. I don't know of anyone who ever has."_

"He's unnatural," she complained without any resentment. "I think I'd almost prefer to have Hawkeye with me."

"_No Edward. Trust me on this one. Never take Hawkeye with you. Falman is decidedly the better option."_

* * *

"_She's an interesting person, Eric." _First Councillor Eric Kinase heard the words in his ear and let his breath out. _"I was impressed with her." _

"Good. I know I can trust your judgement, Locke. Edward's not known for being tactful or diplomatic so I was a bit worried."

There was laughter in the reply. _"I wouldn't worry about that. She was blunt and she was rather outspoken at times, but she made sure I understood exactly what she was talking about. She knew what she was talking about and when she didn't, she came right out and said so. I didn't have to second guess anything. It reminded me of how you used to be, before you got all slippery."_

"She is _nothing _like me!" Eric sat up straight and glared at the phone. There was a small pause.

"_If you say so." _The voice in his ear was conciliatory and Eric could hear how false it was.

"Don't do that," Eric said firmly and Locke laughed. "So far she's been nothing but a damned nuisance."

"_Good. You need shaking up. You've been getting too complacent. You're getting old, Eric."_

"This from the man who spent six years in a pub because his cat died."

"_It wasn't just the cat, you son of a bitch!" _Locke's voice was loud in denial and Eric pulled the receiver away from his ear and grinned. _"You're being every bit the asshole she called you."_

"She didn't?" Eric asked with dismay.

"_Yes she did."_

"How bad was her language?"

"_It was colourful at times." _Eric could hear the smile in Locke's voice and he groaned. _"Don't be too hard on her, Eric. She only let it slip when she was talking about the subjects she obviously feels deeply about, and at the very end when I mentioned your name. Other than that she was well-spoken."_

"I guess that's something."

"_I'm taking a guess and saying there are plans in train for her?"_

"Not at this stage," Eric replied evenly.

"_Don't lie to me, Eric. You wouldn't have rung me to see how it went otherwise." _There was a pause and Eric said nothing. _"I see, it's like that. Very well I won't ask further, but you should know that there is high level interest in her down here."_

"Explain."

"_I was told that Sarin wants a full check done on her."_

"Do you know why?"

"_No. They didn't know that."_

"Sarin is a cautious man."

"_Yes. He's very patient. This explosion is something he wants explained and put away as soon as possible. Too much attention in his direction makes him nervous."_

"It might do him good to be nervous for awhile," Eric mused.

"_It won't make him change his plans."_

"I know. But feeling nervous might remind him of certain things."

"_Like what?"_

"Like the fact that he is not perfect and that even he could make a mistake. He thinks being patient and careful will guarantee him success, but that doesn't always work. Sometimes that can be the worst way of doing things."

"_He's always been that way."_

"Yes."

"_Well, the explosion was not part of his plans but he'll find a way to use it. He might be overly cautious most of the time, but he has been known to be opportunistic."_

"Another reason why we have to find out just what caused this explosion."

"_All my ears are working on it."_

"Thanks Locke."

Eric stared at the phone after he hung up and let his breath out. He lifted his head and looked across his office.

"Edward did alright, but Sarin's curious."

The Fuhrer looked thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps we can use that."

"Weren't you going to leave Sarin alone until next year?"

"I was." The Fuhrer smiled slightly, his blue eyes guileless. "But I'd be a fool to miss an earlier opportunity."

* * *

Edward stared at the phone after she had hung up and felt her heart racing.

He had said it this time. In that soft warm voice that curled around her. _"I miss you Edward. I'll speak to you tomorrow. Take care…"_ His voice had trailed off and she had expected to hear the click of the phone, but instead he had spoken again. _"…and don't forget, I like you." _

Her heart had stopped, her mind had stopped, everything had stopped until she had heard the phone click and the faint hiss of a disconnected line. Emotions rolled through her and she had gripped the receiver hard until she had forced herself to hang up. Then everything began moving again. Her heart, her breathing, her thoughts.

He could say the words so easily and without making them sound silly. That voice he used pushed those words right through her and she could still feel the warmth they created. _What do I do with all this like? He likes me, he keeps saying it, that's how he feels. But the thought of me saying that to him feels strange. Probably because for years I've always said the opposite. The time I did say it I didn't mean to. And I've never said it like he just did._

Edward ran her hands through her hair and tugged at her tail. "And that's the problem. When I said them that first time I wasn't thinking straight. After that…" Edward frowned, thinking hard. _I've never said them to him since then. I've never denied it when he's said it. I've acknowledged that we do like each other, I've just never told him since then._

Edward scrunched her nose up and made a small noise in the back of her throat. _It's not like he doesn't know how I feel. I wouldn't be kissing him if I didn't. I wouldn't be sitting here tying myself up in knots if I didn't. Damn the bastard!_

"I like you," she said softly, testing the words. "I like you, you stupid bastard." She said it louder and nodded.

"I like you too, Boss." Edward looked toward the door and saw Falman standing there, his mouth curved slightly on his otherwise straight face. "It's time for dinner." Edward felt the heated blush that rose from her feet and covered her completely. She dropped her head onto the desk and wrapped her arms over her head.

"Oh this is just fucking great," she mumbled against the wood.

"Was that a yes or no for dinner, Boss?"

* * *

Roy slept better than he had expected that night. Having told Edward how he felt had eased something inside him. Being able to tell her, even though it had only been over the phone, had relieved him. It was a strange thing, this need to say the words to her. He thought it was to make sure she didn't forget, or to reaffirm what he felt or even as a means to get her to reciprocate. But as he left his apartment the next morning he realised he said the words for one very simple reason. He liked to say them.

All the reasons meant little when it came to the pleasure he got when he said those words to her. He knew she wasn't going to forget and he knew she felt the same. So what if she hadn't said the words since that day, he felt them every time he kissed her. She had acknowledged that what they had was mutual, she hadn't denied either of their feelings. Edward had never expressed himself well in the past, he didn't expect her to be any different now. _But it would be nice._ _Maybe just once. _Roy smiled wryly as he left the building. She'd say it eventually. He knew she would. He would just have to be patient. It was probably just as well he was used to being patient, he thought. _I was patient for so many years after Ishbal, I can be patient again. Except this time I will not lose._ He got into his car and settled back as his driver pulled away from the kerb and headed towards Headquarters. _It's also a lot harder to be patient this time._

* * *

Edward was already down in the crater when the others arrived the following morning. She was carefully shifting some of the debris, turning the pieces over in her gloved hands. Falman followed Ralke and Captain Feld down the ramp and they stood in front of her.

"Early start, Ed?" Ralke asked with a small grin.

"Yeah." Ed looked up. "I need somewhere to exercise."

"I'll take you there this afternoon," Ralke replied and Ed nodded.

"Great. I really need to work out." She turned to Captain Feld. "If we start on this side, it's going to make it easier to get to whatever's under that pile there." She pointed to another section of the rubble.

"That would bring us closer to the projected point of detonation," Feld said thoughtfully as he studied the debris.

"Did you have breakfast, Boss?" Falman asked and Edward nodded.

"Yes, I went through the mess before I got here." She didn't tell him she'd only snagged toast and coffee. She'd stayed up late working on the report for the asshole Councillor and then spent the rest of the night thinking about the bastard Lieutenant-General. It was one thing to decide that you were going to make some decisions, it was another thing altogether when you finally sat there and started going through the things you thought you needed to decide.

And at five this morning she had realised that all she knew for certain was that she liked Roy Mustang, he liked her and that she needed to hit something. By the time she arrived here at just after seven the urge to hit something had grown and she had started shifting and sorting in an attempt to divert her rising frustrations. With no-one around to talk this out with, a physical outlet was needed and she knew she was just going to go around in mental circles until she could get rid of the tensions. Kicking something heavy and inanimate to death was just what she needed. She looked at Falman.

"Are the others here?" He nodded and she stood up. "Then let's get them started."

* * *

Alphonse Elric placed another handful of books into the packing case under the watchful eye of the Lieutenant-General.

"That would get done much quicker if I helped you," Roy said casually.

"No Sir." Al looked up. "Hawkeye has already told me to refuse any such offers and she also said I was not to even think about asking you for help."

"Damn that woman," Roy muttered and eyed the files on his desk with loathing. "I don't have that much paperwork."

"I have some more for you, Sir," Hawkeye's calm voice came from the doorway and she entered bearing an armful of the hated files. Roy sighed and then his eye narrowed. There was a slight crease on her forehead.

"What is it?" He saw her eyes flick to Al and back and his eye narrowed further. "Al, put the books down for a moment." He kept his eye fixed on Hawkeye. "You might as well tell us both, Hawkeye."

Hawkeye walked closer to the desk and put the files down on it. Al moved over to the side and looked from one to the other, puzzled and curious. Hawkeye looked at them both.

"Someone from South City is asking questions about Edward." She saw them both lean forward, frowns appearing on both of their faces.

"What sort of questions?" Roy asked.

"They're trying access her personnel file." The matching frowns got deeper and they shared a quick look.

"Who is asking for that?" Roy's voice was intent.

"The request is coming from a Colonel Becfor's office." Hawkeye watched identical blank looks cross their faces.

"I've never heard of him," Al said.

"Apparently he's on General Sarin's staff." She paused slightly. "Personnel rang us because it came through as an unofficial request. Fuery knows one of the girls in there and she rang him to ask him about it. A notation has been placed on Edward's file that says all requests to access it must be authorised by the Lieutenant-General or the Fuhrer."

"That's the first I've heard of that," Roy said.

"The notation was only placed on it last night."

Roy's eyebrow rose. "Last night? And by the Fuhrer?"

"Yes, Sir. His signature and seal are on it."

"But…" Al stopped. "But that means he knew that someone was going to try and access it."

"That's how it would seem," Roy agreed. "But why would they want to look at it? The files we sent with her had the basic summaries for all personnel involved attached. Why would they want more than that?"

"How did the Fuhrer find out about this?" Al asked.

Roy shook his head. "That doesn't surprise me too much, Al. He's the Fuhrer, he would have ways to get information that we don't know about. Although I'm very impressed with however he managed it." He leant back in his chair. "Edward didn't mention any one being curious about her last night. She said they had given her some extra soldiers to help but she didn't say much more than that."

"I'll try and get hold of Falman later and see if he knows anything," Hawkeye said.

"Discreetly please." Roy caught her nod and then turned to Al. "You were leaving tomorrow, weren't you Al?"

"Yes. We're on the mid-morning train."

"May I suggest you go to South City before going home?" His voice was even but Al's eyebrows rose. "I know Edward mentioned wanting to call in and see you on her way home, but she won't be able to do that. Perhaps you should visit her."

"Why won't she be able to visit, Lieutenant-General?" Al asked, his voice going flat as his eyes went wide.

"Soldiers and alchemists are expected to hand their reports in personally as soon as a mission is completed and the Fuhrer will be waiting for this one of hers."

Al stared at him for a moment. "What did Ed say when you told her that?"

"She said she would probably ask you to visit her there then." Roy met the steady gaze.

"She wasn't happy though was she?"

"Not really, no." Roy was honest and to his surprise Al smiled.

"Then yes, Winry and I'll go to South City." Al paused. "You don't intend to tell her that though do you?"

"No." Roy smiled.

"She'll accuse you of interfering."

Roy laughed. "She'll do that regardless of what I actually do." The laughter disappeared. "Keep your eyes open while you're there, Al. We all know what Edward can be like when she's working on something. What she'll miss, you will see."

"Of course, Sir."

"I'll rearrange your tickets," Hawkeye said and Al smiled.

"Thank you, Major. I'd better let Winry know as well." Al looked at the shelves. "I'll finish here first and then call her."

"I'll help," Roy began and then stopped as Hawkeye fixed him with a stare.

"You need to have these files finished by twelve, Sir."

Roy looked at the clock and then at the files. "In an hour?"

"Yes Sir." Hawkeye smiled and left the office. Roy caught Al's amused eyes looking at him.

"One word from you, Al, and I will have you conscripted back into the Military," he said and he was not surprised when Al laughed at him. He knew he had long ago lost the ability to intimidate either of the Elrics.

* * *

"I'll notify the Lieutenant-Colonel of the changes, Major," Falman said sedately as he sat in the office set aside for them in South Headquarters.

"_So formal as always, Falman."_ Hawkeye's voice was clear in his ear. _"Perhaps you need to hear the latest gossip. An old friend called by this morning."_

"Major, you don't have to…" Falman began.

"_Jacqueline's back."_

Falman blinked at the name and his eyes went blank as his mind began to turn. "It's been a long time since she was last there." _Jacqueline _was the word they used when there was trouble. In the old days, before the Elrics had even joined them they had used it. At one time 'Jacqueline' had been phoning in so often, everyone had fully expected Mustang to finally stop his womanising ways. 'She' had been considered the closest Mustang had ever been to having a steady girlfriend. Falman hadn't heard the name used in a very long time and he listened carefully for further clues.

"_Yes, the Lieutenant-General was very surprised as well. She asked after you and Edward."_

"I didn't think she'd met Edward." Falman frowned. Was Hawkeye saying there was trouble for him and Edward?

"_She hasn't but she was curious. It was just a general enquiry, but you never can tell with her."_

"I hope she doesn't decide to come and visit here," Falman remarked. So, it wasn't too serious but they didn't know for sure.

"_If she does, I'll try and get word to you first."_

"Thank you Major. Her visits are always so tiring and distracting."

"_We'll protect you as much as we can, Falman. I know you don't get on well with her." _Hawkeye's voice was light and casual and he smiled slightly.

"Should I tell the Boss about her?" Falman asked.

"_I don't think that's necessary. The investigation is more important and if they ever met we both know Edward would just ignore her anyway."_

"The Lieutenant-Colonel does get very single-minded at times," Falman agreed with a sigh.

"_What has she done?"_

"Nothing yet, but she wanted to keep going last night and she started before anyone else this morning."

"_I'll ask the Lieutenant-General to speak to her. Edward may be able to work like that but the others can't."_

"Major Grey is going to take her to the exercise grounds later."

"_That will help. Try and get her to the mess each night and maybe organise some lunch brought out for her. As long as you make sure she gets food, sleep and exercise she'll be fine. You'll never get her to stick to a clock, so the early mornings and late nights will probably continue. Just set a cot or something up just in case."_

"Maybe you should be here instead of me, Major." Falman deadpanned.

"_No thank you Falman. We'll see if the Lieutenant-General can get her to pace herself. If he can't then there is only person who could."_

"Ah. Edward would listen to him," Falman said with complete understanding. "And she wouldn't be sulky afterwards either," he added and was rewarded with her rare laughter.

* * *

Edward looked around the covered hall. Several soldiers were exercising at one end. Another small group looked as if they were getting instructed in hand to hand combat and she studied them for a moment.

"That door leads through to the shooting ranges," Ralke said as he pointed along one wall.

"Do you come here often?" Edward asked, her jacket over her shoulder and her eyes bright.

"Every couple of days, although I mainly use the outside track. And Van and I attempt the obstacle course twice a week."

Edward laughed at his phrasing. "Sounds like fun."

"It is actually. I didn't think I'd be doing this sort of thing as an alchemist, but we're not just alchemists are we? We're soldiers too. I know some of the other soldiers here don't see us as soldiers like them, and they're probably right, but that doesn't mean I'm not a soldier at all."

Edward looked at him. She hadn't thought about that aspect of State Alchemy before. She'd been too young to be considered a soldier when she had joined. The only time anyone had expected her to be a soldier had been at Liore. And what had been expected of her hadn't been what she had been prepared to do. Her brow creased in a sudden thought. Hadn't the bastard been a soldier before he had become a State Alchemist? Maybe there should be some sort of training for State Alchemists. Maybe she could add that to the report she'd nearly finished last night.

"Ed?" Ralke called and she blinked.

"Sorry, just thinking." She pointed at the bags hanging in one corner. "I'll go kick them for a bit if you want to do your running."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Punching bags are pretty harmless." She grinned at him. "Go and run."

"Okay." He grinned back.

"Friend of yours, Major?" The light voice had them turning. Ice blue eyes stared at Edward appraisingly.

"Yes Sergeant. Ed, this is…"

"I'm Sergeant Thoms. This is my exercise hall."

Edward kept her face still as her fingers twitched. "Pleased to meet you, Sergeant. I'm Ed. The Major here was showing me a place where I could work out." Ralke looked at her. He had heard that voice before. She had used it as they had waited in that small room after the practical. He bit his lip to stop from smiling.

"And you thought you'd work out here?" the Sergeant asked and the golden eyes stared right back at him. "We don't get many women through here."

"I don't know why. You seem to have all the necessary equipment." Edward paused as the Sergeant stiffened at the light dismissive tone. "My usual sparring partner isn't with me so I have to make do while I'm here."

"Let's see just how good you are, Ed," the Sergeant said as his eyes narrowed and he walked to the centre of the room.

"Okay Sergeant." Edward handed her jacket to Ralke before she began to follow.

"Ed, he's supposed to be very good. He trains all the elite soldiers." Ralke's voice was nervous as he walked beside her.

"I hope he's good. I really need a workout, Ralke." Her hand fiddled at her hip as she undid the watch chain and pushed it deep into her pocket. The Sergeant hadn't noticed it and she had taken to keeping the chain length short and barely visible lately.

"Are you ready?" The Sergeant called and Ed grinned slightly.

"I'm always ready, Sergeant." Ed walked forward and took her stance.

Ralke stood back and saw the other soldiers coming close to watch. He blinked as he realised Ed and the Sergeant had started. They had moved faster than he realised and Edward had dropped beneath a spinning kick and back flipping away from the following strike. The men moved back to give them more room and Edward went forward. There was the loud sound of a strike landing and the Sergeant was the one moving backwards as Edward kicked out again.

Ralke couldn't keep up with the movements. If he blinked he missed something. He didn't dare look away. He had never seen a sparring match like it before. Edward was always in motion, going from one strike to the next without pausing. The Sergeant was also moving quickly, his arms reaching and swinging as Edward dodged and shifted fluidly to meet his every attack.

Edward slipped below another kick and shifted to trip him, hooking her boot around his calf before sliding past his grabbing hands. A quick leap had her out of reach before she swung on her other leg to send her heel into his side and send him further off balance. The longer the match went, the more certain she was that something was wrong. He was good, he was quick and fast and he had a few tricks she'd never seen. But she had seen a look of surprise cross his face when she had first kicked him with her left foot. His style had changed and become more aggressive at that point and it had puzzled her until she had figured it out.

Her tactics changed to test her theory and now he was ignoring the one opening she was giving him. He was too good not to have noticed it so Edward knew it was a deliberate decision on his part. She wasn't using her right arm and would always attack from the left side. To have that occur under normal circumstances an opponent would assume the right to be the weaker side and attack it. But Edward didn't use her right because of the automail. One good hit with her right and the fight would be over.

Edward's thoughts whirled. Fight. This was supposed to be a sparring match, but it was starting to feel like more of a fight. This had 'set up' written all over it. She had no time to wonder further as she moved out of his reach and caught his elbow with a high kick. Time for thinking was afterwards and her eyes narrowed. If it had become a fight then she could stop being considerate and she brought her right arm up.

Ralke had thought she had moved fast earlier but suddenly she was quicker and somehow in midair above the Sergeant's head. As she fell behind him her right arm shot out and locked around his throat pulling his head back with her momentum. He began to fall, one hand pulling at her arm and the other reaching behind him when her whole body twisted and instead of falling backwards he was now falling onto his side. By the time he hit the ground she had twisted them around again and her knees were brought up into the middle of his back. The breath rushed out of his lungs in a loud whoosh and Edward waited a moment before she unlocked her arm from around his neck and stood up. She stepped away and then bent down to check on him.

"Anybody got some water?" she asked without looking around and a canteen appeared beside her. "Thanks." She tipped it over the semi-conscious Sergeant. "He'll probably need some more. Maybe a bucket."

Ralke moved next to her and drew an array quickly on the ground near the spilled water. Alchemy flared and the water flowed to his array and swirled over it.

"You don't want to waste this," he said.

"We can reuse it while they're getting the bucket," Ed replied and Ralke sent the water splashing over the Sergeant again. "Someone is fetching a bucket," she said firmly without looking behind her.

"Yes, Ma'am," came a hesitant voice to the side. Ralke watched Ed and saw her ignore the detested title. Her eyes were more intent on the Sergeant and she was frowning slightly. She only moved when the bucket arrived and she nodded to Ralke as she tipped it over the prone man. Ralke sparked his array again and dumped the water back into the bucket as the Sergeant began to splutter.

"I believe the show's over now," Edward said and turned around to face the milling soldiers with cold eyes. "You're dismissed." She waited as they began shuffling their feet. "Ralke, help the Sergeant sit up."

"Yes Sir," Ralke replied and the soldiers began stepping back, their eyes widening at the Major's reply. They knew him. They had seen him here and dismissed him. He only ran, he never sparred or went to the range. He was also known to always use the correct forms of address and he would never call anyone 'Sir' unless they outranked him. They looked from one to the other and moved away, all of them heading for the nearest door.

"You okay, Ed?" Ralke asked softly after they had gone and she turned back to him. He was supporting the Sergeant who was concentrating on his breathing and feeling around his ribs slowly.

"I'm fine, Ralke." She hunkered down in front of the Sergeant. The ice blue eyes were slightly hazy and Edward moved her hand in front of them. They followed the movement and she kept her eyes focused on his. "You knew about my arm."

Ralke stared at Edward and then looked at the Sergeant. "I don't have to answer," the Sergeant replied, his voice rough.

"Actually you do. Winner's rights."

"That's for fights, not sparring."

"It stopped being a sparring match when you didn't attack my right side," Edward replied. "Sparring is to test all limits and angles, you don't ignore an obvious opening. The strategies are different." Edward paused. "I don't want to pull rank on you Sergeant and I don't really care about who set this up, but I want to know why."

Edward and Thoms stared at each other for a long moment. "I don't know why."

"But they told you about my arm."

"Yes."

Edward stared at him. "You won't tell me who even if I threatened you, so instead just tell me what they said to do."

"I was told to set up a match and to test you. I was told you had an automail arm and leg." Edward nodded.

"It wasn't too hard to set it up. I really did want a workout," Edward said as she sat down properly and crossed her legs. "I saw you look surprised when I used my left leg. It took me a while to realise why and when you didn't take the opening on my right I knew you knew about the automail."

"They said you were supposed to be reasonably skilled." The Sergeant's mouth twisted wryly. "That was misleading too."

"I've been practising lately." Edward brushed that aside. "You were better than I expected as well. I wouldn't mind a repeat match sometime. It's hard to find people willing to spar with me."

"You…you don't mind…?"

"Ed?"

Ralke and the Sergeant spoke at the same time and Edward looked at them both.

"What? The Sergeant was following orders, Ralke. I'd be stupid to hold a grudge against him because of that. The Sergeant will report back that I don't have the automail leg anymore but I do have the arm and that I am reasonably skilled. None of it can be used against me."

"But Ed. Don't you want to know who?" Ralke asked.

Ed shrugged. "Not really. People have been testing me since I was twelve, and they'll keep on doing it. It's nothing to lose sleep over." She looked at Thoms. "Can you stand up yet?"

"I think so," he said and began to move. Ralke supported him and didn't let go until they were both upright. The Sergeant wobbled slightly and then straightened up properly. "Thank you, Major."

"You're welcome, Sergeant," Ralke bowed his head slightly.

"If you really hold no grudge, Ma'am, I'll be here tomorrow afternoon at seventeen hundred for that rematch." Thoms looked at Ed.

"I'll look forward to it." Ed paused. "But drop the Ma'am. Ed does fine."

Sergeant Thoms looked at her jacket that Ralke had slung over his shoulder. "What rank are you, Ed?"

"They didn't tell you?" Ed queried and Thoms shook his head. He had only been told to target the long haired blonde he had seen walking next to the Major, they hadn't even given him her name.

"I'm a Lieutenant-Colonel." Thoms opened his eyes wide. He hadn't expected her to be ranked higher than the Major. He had still been too dazed earlier and had missed the Major calling her 'Sir'. He saluted.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't…"

"Stop, Thoms. It doesn't matter. It's over and done with now. Ralke has a run to do and I want to cool down on the bags after that exercise." The golden eyes gleamed. "And you have a report to make."

Thoms met her steady gaze and then saluted. "Yes Sir." He turned and left the building his back straight and without looking back.

"Are you really going to leave it there, Ed?"

"As far as he's concerned, yes." Edward's expression was speculative for a moment and then it cleared as she turned to face him. "And don't you worry about it either. I meant it earlier. This happens all the time. Having me suddenly reappear like this means people are going to be curious and play these games until they're satisfied."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really. It's just tiring because everyone gets so worried about it." She looked at him and then grinned. "Don't mention this to Falman. The man will make my life a complete misery if he hears about it. All he needs to know is that I sparred."

"Okay." Ralke was reluctant she could hear it in his voice and it was written on his face.

"Go and run. You'll feel clearer in your head. I'll still be here when you get back, that way you'll know I'm in no trouble."

Ralke let his breath out taking her jacket from his shoulder and handed it to her. "For some reason, I wish your brother was here." He turned away and then stopped halfway. "If you should happen to be wrong, you know you can always count on my help." Ralke began walking again and Edward stared at his retreating back.

"I know," she mouthed, not wanting him to hear. But she wouldn't get him involved if she could help it. He still had too much of the innocent about him. And Edward would never forgive herself if anything happened to him. She had already hurt too may innocents.

She waited until he had left the building before turning and heading to the bags. She rolled her shoulders slowly and eyed the bags. The leather looked fairly new so there was no danger she'd rupture one if she hit it with her right. She dropped her jacket to one side and moved in front of the bag. She lifted her left leg slowly and found her balance before she kicked out horizontally. There was the satisfying thump of boot hitting bag and she spun slowly, switching legs and feeling her right boot connect. She stepped closer and kept her movements slow, this time landing the blows on her calves. Stepping back and kicking out backwards. Stepping back in even closer and swinging a bended knee around, all her movements were slow and controlled.

She took a step back and smiled slightly as she took a deep breath. This time she began using her arms and fists. Elbows lifted and forearms smacked the leather. She increased her speed slightly. She let her body move as it wanted, hitting and kicking in sequences long since memorised. The tensions began to ease and she relaxed.

With her body occupied she could think. Whoever had wanted to test her would probably try again in some other way. She didn't need to threaten the Sergeant to get a name. They would give themselves away sooner or later. Despite asking Ralke not to say anything, she wondered if she should let Falman know. For all his ways, he was highly intelligent and she trusted him. And the bastard. Should she tell him as well? Was Ralke right and was she wrong? She mentally shrugged and shook her head.

It wasn't anything serious. It could wait.

* * *

-

Those who have read the manga will recognise the name 'Jacqueline', and I have used it here in a different manner so as not to spoil for those who haven't. Back in the seventies there was a series of novels based on the Modesty Blaise comic strips. The word the main characters used to signal one of them was in trouble was 'Jacqueline.'

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone for your patience with my monster… everything has conspired against the poor beast but he's managed to survive and hopefully he likes the new house… a long chapter and hopefully enough is happening to please everyone... I know I waffle...lol... and the title really sucks this time, but I just couldn't think of anything better and I wanted to update now rather than tomorrow...lol...

... as our cat disappeared in the move, i need to lavish some attention on my other little cat...Tack så mycket

silken :)


	35. Announcements Public and Private

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 35: Announcements - Public and Private  
**

"_It doesn't sound like you've found anything, Edward." _ Roy's voice was a warm even tone in her ear.

"Not yet. We got a fair bit of debris moved and Feld's really good at identifying where things come from. I bet he does puzzles in his spare time." Ed was in her usual comfortable position. Leant back as far as the chair would go with her boots on the desk. "If I didn't know that Investigations probably needs him, I'd try and grab him for Research."

"_How about Captain Grant?" _

"He's good. Seems to know a bit about explosives."

"_He spent some time with the demolition team assigned to North City according to his file."_

"Why'd he leave there?"

"_Blowing things up all the time must get boring. You would know that better than I."_

"Funny, bastard. You're one to talk." Ed grinned as she spoke. "_I'm_ not the one who nearly burnt down the office the other week." She could feel herself relaxing as she listened to his voice. It had happened last night and it was happening again. It was strange but not unsettling and she realised she was becoming comfortable with it. She had noticed it in Central, that his presence could affect her mood and she could feel it now even with the distance between them. She wondered if he felt the same but wasn't about to ask. If there was one thing she really disliked about liking Roy Mustang, it was the way it made her cowardly.

It wasn't cowardice _technically_, it was a mixture of embarrassment and self-consciousness and outright fear all muddled together. It rendered her unable to ask and she fought it every time she thought about saying anything approaching the 'I like you' places. He didn't seem to have a problem with it, so why did she.

"_...ward? Edward?"_

"What?"

"_You went quiet."_

"Just thinking."

"_What about?"_

"Nothing," Ed replied quickly. Too quickly she realised and dropped her head with a silent groan and then hoped he wouldn't pick up on it.

"_Edward? Are you alright?" _Damn, she thought, no such luck.

"Yes, I'm fine." She thought for a moment and then let her breath out. She couldn't act other than what she was. "I've just got some things on my mind."

"_The investigation? It's still early days yet, you know that. I have every confidence in you" _

Ed bit her lip even as she rolled her eyes. She wondered if she ought to be relieved that he thought she was worrying about the investigation because Falman was more in charge than she was. At this stage there really wasn't anything for her to do but move debris.

"Pompous bastard," she replied, choosing the easiest way out and taking comfort in senseless insults.

"_I believe you will be the pompous one Edward. They still intend to announce the liaison position tomorrow."_

Ed sighed. "It seems a bit stupid to announce it when I'm not there."

"_Are you hoping they'll change their minds?"_

"Maybe. I know the asshole's not happy about it but he says the Fuhrer won't change his mind, so I guess it won't happen." Ed let her breath out. "At least I won't have to do anything until I get back there."

"_I've never had much to do with civilian matters at this level." _Roy's voice was contemplative and she grinned slightly.

"You've always been a military dog," she said with a smirk.

"_We can't all be People's Alchemists can we?" _His smirk was evident in his words and there was a silence as they both paused.

"Is that why he's choosing me for this?" Ed asked slowly.

"_It wouldn't be the whole reason for choosing you, but yes, it would have been a consideration." _Roy's response had her nodding.

"I don't like being used for unknown reasons," Ed said with a grumble in her voice. "This time there seem to be too many reasons, which pisses me off just as much."

"_You could always resign."_ Roy's voice was bland and Edward growled.

"I know that, bastard."

"_You just want something to complain about. Admit it, Edward. You really do enjoy all this. You like being busy and useful. And needed."_

"Shut up," Ed snapped. "They don't need me. They could've picked anyone."

"_They could have, but they didn't. For all the reasons we mentioned before and probably for some neither of us has even considered. That doesn't matter. The point is you were picked and as of tomorrow it becomes official. You've had time to get used to it, you've had more than enough time to resign or to do something unforgiveable if you really wanted to get out of it and now there's no more time. You haven't changed at all. You used to always complain and whinge before every mission and then you'd go and do it better than anyone ever expected. And you always did it in your own unique style. I expect you to do the same this time, Edward, because they really have no idea of just who you are."_

"And you do?"

"_Yes." _The calm surety in the single word had Edward frowning. He knew her well and he knew what to say and there was no sense he was trying to manipulate her. He was stating a long-held opinion and it showed in his voice. Ever since her return he had treated her like this, with none of the games she had been so used to when she was younger.

"You said …you'd come with me," Ed said before she realised what she was saying. There was a hint of a question in her voice.

"_Yes. To all the civic functions and even the meetings if you need me. I said we were in this together, Edward. I didn't say it for reassurance at the time, nor is it restricted to liking you. We _are_ in this together, whether you're there in South or here in Central. No matter what the Fuhrer has planned, I _will_ be there."_

Ed drew her breath in at the absolute conviction in his voice. Panicked and embarrassed thoughts clattered through her head as she blinked and felt a strong urge to hang up on him, to stop him from saying anything else. This was the tone of voice he had used after he had kissed her that first time. _'Edward Elric, I like you and I am not about to let you forget it.' _Her hand moved in a slowed motion as she took the phone from her ear and placed it gently down onto the base with a soft click. She stared at it blinking not quite realising what she had just done as her thoughts whirled.

There was no confusion in him. He knew what he wanted, he knew what he was doing. She didn't. She liked him and that was as far as she had gone. He had gone further into somewhere she didn't know and she suddenly felt left behind. He was saying things she hadn't been able to face yet. _Coward._ _And I just hung up on him. Shit._

Edward's boots slipped off the desk as she went forward and dropped her head onto the desk. _Fuck, fuck, fuck! Scared and stupid, could I be any more pathetic?_

* * *

Roy listened to the suddenly dead phone and frowned. _She hung up on me? No, she wouldn't…_Edward_ wouldn't have done that. I'll get Fuery to check the line, it must be a fault somewhere. She hung up on me? _

His hand moved and he dialled the number for the office in South City.

* * *

The phone's ringing made Ed jump and she stared at it. It rang again and she kept staring at it. It was him, she just knew it was him calling back to find out why she had hung up on him. She let it ring as she wondered what to do. _Just answer the damned thing and be done with it! _She told herself but she couldn't make herself move. _What is the matter with you, stupid idiot! _ With a scowl on her face she moved, picking up the phone just as the door opened and Falman and Ralke appeared.

"Yes?" Her voice was abrupt and she looked at them even as she heard Roy speaking.

"_Are you alright, Edward?"_

"Is there a problem?" Falman asked at the same time.

"I'm fine," she said into the phone. "There's no problem, Falman." She directed the next words at him and he nodded.

"_Edward?" _Roy's voice sounded like he wanted to ask lots of questions and she didn't want to hear them.

"I've got to go for dinner now."

"_We need to talk." _His voice had taken on those firm tones again. _"Did you just hang up on me?"_

"Not right now we don't," she replied and stood up as if that would give her extra strength. She ignored the hysteria that bubbled at the sound of the disbelief in his question. It was as if no-one had ever done that to him before. "No I didn't," she lied.

"_You're lying," _and she grimaced at his statement.

"Shut up bastard," she growled and took a deep breath. "Ralke's here so I'm going to dinner. Good night." She hung up and stared at it with a displeased expression on her face.

Falman had turned away from the doorway but Ralke still stood there and watched her for a moment.

"That was the Lieutenant-General, wasn't it?" he asked and she nodded still obviously deeply in thought. Ralke had heard some of the old stories of how things were between Mustang and the Fullmetal Alchemist. What he had just seen made him think that the situation was still the same as it had been. "If you dislike him so much, why don't you just transfer out of there?"

Ed froze for a moment. "I…I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because…" _I like him. Because …because we're in this together._ Ed sat down with a heavy thump into the chair, her head going into her hands. "I am an idiot."

Ralke paused before speaking again. "Come to dinner. You need a break and Van'll be wondering where we are."

"Okay." Ed's voice was muffled but then she lifted her head and stood up, her face clear even if her eyes appeared clouded. "Let's go."

* * *

Roy stared at the phone again and felt more confused. She _had_ hung up on him and she'd done it again. He didn't think what he'd said would have upset her. Edward had been rather good with his declarations so far, not that he'd made many, but she hadn't run from them so he was baffled as to why she suddenly appeared to be running now.

"And who the hell is _Ralke_?" he asked his empty office.

* * *

Ed walked beside Ralke, her thoughts twisting around the realisation that had hit her when he had asked why she didn't transfer out. She'd had the chance to do so and she'd ignored it. She could have accepted the Fuhrer's offer. There had been no reason to stay in Mustang's office. She could have gone anywhere. Nostalgia, friends or comfortably familiar…any of those reasons could have been why she had stayed. And perhaps because, more than anything else, that office _was _home in many ways.

_We're in this together. _That's why she didn't leave. Because they'd been in it together for years. It had been there before the liking had appeared. Which made the bastard right. It had never been restricted to just liking each other. And he was seeing it going into a future, something Ed had not been able to do for a very long time. She shivered suddenly. Not just any future either. He was seeing one where they were there _together_. Because they liked each other now.

"This way, Ed." Ralke's voice interrupted her thoughts and his hand was at her left elbow for a moment as he stopped her from walking straight past the mess.

"Oh. Thanks." She shook her head clear as they entered. Military mess halls were much the same wherever you went she thought as she headed to where the trays were stacked. She hadn't taken much notice of it last night and she took even less tonight, her mind trying to shift back into the Roy-thoughts.

Ralke had never been stared at before, but he could feel it now. A quick glance had him convinced everyone was staring at him even as they continued talking. It took him a moment to realise they weren't staring at him but at Ed, who seemed completely oblivious to it. He was a bit puzzled as to why they were staring so intently. There had been some stares last night but nothing to this extent. He followed her, filling his tray and then to the table where Van was waiting, still puzzling it over.

"Finally," Van said as they sat down. "I thought I'd have to come and fetch you."

"Ha!" Ralke scoffed lightly. "You wouldn't have done that, you're too lazy."

"Hey, I've been working hard today." Van grinned back at his friend.

"That made a change." Ralke smirked at him and Van lifted a finger in response. Ed smiled as she half-listened to them. She was glad they were here. They would distract her from over-thinking about Roy.

"I hear you took on Sergeant Thoms, Ed." Van turned to her.

"We sparred a bit, yes," Ed replied, not surprised to find he had heard about it. The military grapevine was very efficient.

"You should have been there, Van!" Ralke's eyes lit up. "It was incredible!" Ed rolled her eyes as Ralke leapt into a blow-by-blow description of the fight.

"I'll come tomorrow and see the re-match," Van said after Ralke had finished.

"It's just sparring," Ed murmured.

"But it's with Thoms. He's invincible."

"No-one's invincible," Ed replied with a grin. "But he _is_ very good."

"You were better," Ralke said.

"At the time," Ed replied. "Luck plays just as much a part of it as does skill. If you have enough skill you can usually make the luck go your way, but it doesn't always work that way."

"How often do you lose?" Van asked.

"I used to lose to my brother all the time. We're more even these days, but I have to really work to get a draw out of it."

"So basically, you don't lose," Van said.

"Well, not since…" _Envy killed me_ "…uh…no, I guess not." Ed tugged at her braid. This sort of talk made her feel uncomfortable. "We had a very good Teacher. I'm only good because of her."

"What did she do, Ed? They literally wet themselves sometimes when they have to talk about her. Saying her name is something people just don't do. It's always 'she' or 'her'."

"I know she hated the military and State Alchemists, but I never knew why. She never had anything good to say about them. She nearly killed me when she found out I'd joined." Ed looked down at her tray. "There was this kid she… she was looking after at one time, and a Colonel kidnapped him. And she came after him. That's when South Headquarters got…got remodelled. She was always direct and she took the straightest path she could find. If it was in her way she went through it. Anyone tried to stop her, she stopped them. She probably scared the living hell out of them that day. I know she scared me when I faced her."

"Why would you do that? She was your Teacher."

"I was also a member of the military. I wanted to help, but she thought I was against her. It got a bit tense for awhile."

"So why would a Colonel kidnap a kid? That was stupid." Ralke shook his head.

"I think he thought the boy had information about something else and Archer was an arrogant prick anyway. Al said he went crazy and was badly injured at …soon after."

"Is he still alive?"

"I don't know." Ed thought for a moment. "No-one's said anything about him and I've never asked. He could be I guess, depending on how bad his injuries were. Teacher would've probably hunted him down if he'd come anywhere near her."

"What happened to the kid?" Van asked.

"I don't know." Ed let her breath out. "He disappeared with … a relative and I didn't see him for awhile. Then we caught up later and there was a rather messy fight. I never saw him again after that." She wondered if Al had come across Wrath in his travelling around and made a mental note to ask him next time.

"This must seem very boring to you," Ralke said in a contemplative manner. "You did all that back then and now you're only here because of the investigation. When you finish here you're going to go back and be stuck in that office."

Ed paused. Once the liaison position was announced even the chance of being sent on one of these trips would probably disappear. She'd be completely tied to Central, unless there were tours similar to the one Roy had gone on. But they would be very different to being able to sit in a mess with friends like this. Had the bastard already seen this? Was that also what he had meant by saying he'd always be there?

"Thanks Ralke, I needed to hear that," Ed said in a disgruntled tone.

* * *

"I'm ready for your report, Colonel" General Sarin said in his low quiet voice. Colonel Becfor nodded and looked at the single page in his hands.

"I have requested Edward Elric's file and it should be here in three days. There is a record of an Edward Elric being detained in protective custody along with Izumi Curtis during a brawl at a club called Devil's Nest. But at some point, they somehow managed to slip past the guards. He is reported to have been here on the day of the disturbance."

"He?"

"Yes Sir. All reports say 'he'. There is no mention of him being female at any stage."

"Hmm. Continue."

"According to the conversation with Councillor Locke, the change is due to an alchemic accident. Elric says that …she was on her way back to Amestris when she was caught in it and the change of gender was the result."

"Did she say where she had been these last four years?"

"No Sir. Only that it was a long way away and that it was a hard and difficult journey."

"Maybe there will be more in her file. Central would have demanded a report on everything that occurred during that time away."

"Elric also discussed State Alchemy and the possibility of bringing back some of the practises of four years ago and dropping the one year minimum service with the Councillor. She appeared to be on bad terms with Councillor Kinase of the Central Council. She was insulting of him several times."

"That's interesting to know. Especially given how close Kinase is to the Fuhrer and the Fuhrer signed her order papers himself." Sarin leant back in his chair a speculative look on his face. "What else do you have?"

"I had Sergeant Thoms test her and he reports that she is very good when it comes to hand to hand combat. He said he hadn't seen anyone better. But he said she only has an automail arm. There was no automail leg."

Sarin frowned. "When she was talking with Locke, was the automail mentioned at all?"

"No Sir."

"So you don't know if it was part of these changes from that accident or completely unrelated?"

"No Sir. No-one has said anything at all."

Sarin looked at his subordinate. "I _need_ that file, Becfor. I need to know more about that accident."

"Sir?"

"A change of gender would have to be the result of human alchemy. An accident could have possibly caused it. _If_ it was an accident. The fact her leg has changed makes me wonder if it was perhaps an attempt to replace her limbs that went wrong."

"But that would still be human alchemy."

"Precisely. And intentional human alchemy is illegal. Even an accidental result would have to mean that the original intent was close to the ethical line." The corner of Sarin's mouth lifted slightly and a calculating look appeared on his face. "I wonder how much the Fuhrer knows."

* * *

The office was in complete disarray when Roy Mustang entered it the next morning. Packing crates stood beside desks, smaller boxes were on them and files and papers were stacked everywhere. He watched as Hawkeye spoke to the new member – _Berent_ he remembered – and directed him to Edward's old desk and the files covering it.

"These need your signature, Sir." Hawkeye was suddenly right in front of him.

"Good morning to you too, Hawkeye." Roy looked at the files in her hand. "Couldn't you have just put them in a box for later?"

"No, Sir." She turned and led the way into his office and he followed. His inner office was almost bare. All the shelves empty and the couches gone. His desk was missing its usual stack of files and folders and only a blotter and pen marred the wooden surface.

"What the…?"

"It's all done so you have no reason to stay here and can go to the inspections without worrying," Hawkeye told him with an amused expression on her face.

"Thank you," he muttered sarcastically as he sat in his chair and held his hand out for the folders. Hawkeye grinned for a fleeting moment before she handed him the first ones.

"We've edited Edward's file and it's ready to be sent to South City." She placed another folder to one side.

"Good." Roy ignored the other files and reached for it. "You've removed the authorisation notations?"

"Yes Sir. We've modified the events regarding Liore as well as several references to Alphonse."

"It looks like a normal file," Roy noted with satisfaction as he leafed through it. "Warn Falman and get him to keep an eye out for this Colonel. I doubt he'll move until he gets the file."

"You can't say that with any certainty. He could approach her before it arrives," Hawkeye said.

"I know, but Edward will be fine. She knows the story that covers her re-appearance and change. That's all they'll get from her if they ask and this file will confirm that."

Hawkeye nodded. "I'll send it off with the next train. It's been signed off by the Personnel department so there's no evidence we're involved."

"Very good." Roy paused as he handed the file to Hawkeye and went back to signing the first file. "And see what you can find out about someone called 'Ralke'."

"Ralke? You mean Major Grey?"

Roy looked up and blinked. "Huh?"

"Major Ralke Grey, the Hydro Alchemist. He's one of the two alchemists South Headquarters assigned to the investigation. Edward asked for them, remember?"

Roy frowned. "I don't remember that."

"It was during one of the calls from the train. I believe Falman passed the request on. Edward knew them from the State exams. They all passed at the same time."

"Hydro…ah, he was the other one who took care of the dam at the practicals." Roy tried hard to recall exactly what that alchemist had looked like but could only recall a thin dark haired faceless man. _Dark hair or was it brown?_

"Is there a problem, Sir?"

"No Hawkeye. Edward mentioned him last night. With all the apparent interest in her at the moment, I was just checking." Roy spoke easily even as he felt the jealous pang again. It was a bit sharper this time now he knew Edward was already friends with him. And he was an alchemist as well. Hadn't he seen how well Edward had gotten along with them at the Parade rehearsals? He hadn't thought much of it back then, but now it was different.

"Major Grey seemed like a capable young man, Sir."

"That's good," Roy replied, wishing the man wasn't and wondering when Hawkeye had met him. He held back from asking. Hawkeye was too sharp and he didn't want to rouse any suspicions.

Hawkeye watched Roy sign the pages in front of him and frowned slightly. She had expected him to ask more questions. She hadn't thought he would be this casual with a possible threat to Edward even with someone she was vouching for. She hadn't forgotten his reaction to Edward slipping out that morning. Was he deliberately holding back because of that she wondered.

Roy closed the folders and pushed them towards her. "Anything else, Hawkeye?"

"No Sir. Alphonse's train leaves at eleven-thirty. I have arranged for an hour break in the inspection so you can go to the station."

"Thank you," he smiled as he leant back in his chair. It disappeared as she kept on speaking.

"That does mean you'll have to start the inspection earlier. You're due in the Armoury in ten minutes. The rest of the inspection team should be there waiting for you now."

* * *

"Why are they all staring again?" Ralke asked as he sat down at the mess table. Van and Edward looked up from their trays and had a quick look around.

"Probably because I beat Thoms or because of the stories you told the others," Ed said unconcernedly as she went back to shovelling eggs into her mouth.

"What stories?" Van asked cagily.

"Oh please. I saw the looks I was getting when I got back yesterday. I know Falman never talks so it had to be you two," Ed grinned.

"We might have said something, but not enough to have everyone staring," Ralke protested and got glared at by Van.

"You don't know the military rumour mill very well then," Ed said. "It takes longer for water to boil than it does for some rumours and stories to spread." She looked from one to the other. "And enlisted men will always know things before officers do."

"So how will we know what the rumours are?" Van asked.

"Make friends with the sergeants. They're your best bet," Ed told them. "Then you have to consider that most gossip stays within the compound and rarely gets shared, even with other bases. To get news from other places is harder. Unless it's really good gossip it rarely gets past the switchboards."

"How do you know all this, Ed?"

"Al. I was always reading or researching, he was more sociable than I was." She stood up and picked up her empty tray. "Back then other soldiers were just a nuisance to ignore."

"You're pretty sociable and friendly now," Van said with a slight frown.

She shrugged with a grin. "I grew up." _And I'm not obsessed any more. _

* * *

"Don't say anything to Edward," Roy told Al as they stood on the platform at Central Station. Winry was getting hugged by Gracia and Elysia and Roy had taken Al to one side. "Falman knows something is happening, so you can fill in the details for him."

"Yes Sir." Al bowed his head slightly.

"If anything does happen, tell him to contact us as soon as possible."

"And if Ed has noticed anything?"

"Then tell her what's going on. She's going to be upset with us for not telling her anything at this stage anyway, let's not incite her any more than we need to."

"For my sake or yours, Lieutenant-General?" Al asked with a smile and Roy smirked.

"For both of us. She _is_ your sister."

"And your girlfriend."

It took Roy half an hour before he could think clearly again and by then the train had left, he had somehow agreed to have dinner with Gracia and Elysia and there was no-one to snap at.

* * *

"Coming for lunch, Ed?" Ralke looked down into the hole just above where Ed was working. There was no response. Ed stayed hunched over sifting through the wreckage. "Ed?"

"She can't hear you, Major," Falman said as he watched. Ed pulled a couple of fragments out and placed them to one side before easing her fingers back into the rubble obviously searching for something.

"Huh?"

"When the Lieutenant-Colonel concentrates like this its best to leave her alone. She gets irritable if she's interrupted."

Ralke's eyes went wide. "But this is lunch! Ed never misses a meal."

"She didn't have lunch yesterday."

Ralke paused as he thought about it. None of them had eaten lunch yesterday. "You're right. I never thought anything would get between Ed and food."

"It does happen, Sir." Falman had seen this coming. Ed was about to completely lose herself in the work. He ran down a mental list and made notes on what he should do. He knew she would probably surface for the calls to Central. Food would have to be brought over although he thought he would ask the Majors to take Edward to the mess for at least one meal a day. Exercise Hawkeye had mentioned and that might be a challenge. The Lieutenant-Colonel was more difficult than the Lieutenant-General to control because she was unpredictable and new to this sort of duty, but he knew her well enough that he was confident in his abilities. And hadn't she gone with the Major to the exercise area yesterday? He nodded to himself. It shouldn't be too hard after all.

"Should I bring her back something from the mess?" Ralke asked.

"I was going to organise that, Sir. I'll have them send over sandwiches or something similar. They'll keep for when she gets hungry."

"You don't seem surprised at all, Senior Warrant Officer," Ralke said, not feeling confident to call the man by his surname. For all Ralke's higher rank he was well aware Falman was superior in every other way.

"I've known the Boss a long time," Falman said with one of his rare smiles.

"She's nothing like I what thought she'd be like," Ralke said quietly his eyes fixed on the blonde as she crawled over the rubble. "The famous Fullmetal Alchemist. I always wished to meet him. I heard and read stories about him as I studied and I knew there was no possible way it would ever happen. But… _she_ is incredible. Even if only half the stories I heard are true, all the things she must have been through and she's just so _normal_ about it all." Falman looked at Ralke with a raised eyebrow but Ralke was looking at Ed and didn't see it. "People stare at her and test her but she never lets it get to her."

"Test her?" Falman asked carefully.

"Oh damn, she said not to mention it." Ralke looked disconcerted and Falman kept a pleasant expression on his face.

"It's alright, Major. Edward has had people staring at her and testing her for years. She's used to it and ignores it." Falman stayed casual and Ralke nodded.

"Yes, that's what she said." Ralke turned to Falman.

"I won't say anything, Major. Edward likes to be independent and does resent having me here." Falman dangled the words casually.

"Oh no, Ed wouldn't think that." Ralke denied even as he heard Ed's comment from yesterday echoing. _'The man will make my life a complete misery if he hears about it._' "It was just a spar that got a bit out of hand, that's all. She probably just didn't want you to worry. I know she's always talking about the office and you must all be so close after knowing each other for so long." Ralke could hear himself starting to ramble and came to a sudden stop. The grey haired man shook his head.

"It's perfectly okay, Major. As I said, I won't mention it to her." Falman paused. "I have known her since she was a teenager and I can't help but worry sometimes. It's an old habit to watch over her." He spoke depreciatingly and waited for the Major to take the bait.

"I might not be very strong or even that clever, but I'll keep an eye on her for you. If you don't mind," Ralke spoke hesitantly and Falman made himself frown with a slightly worried look to his face. _Gotcha_ he thought behind his mask.

"I would hate to ask that of you, Major. I know Edward sees you as a friend." To Falman's surprise, Ralke blushed. "Didn't you know that?"

"I guess I did. I just never thought anyone else would see it like that." The blush faded slightly and Ralke stared hard at Falman. "Then I will help watch over her too. That's what a friend would do, even without being asked."

Falman smiled and bowed his head slightly. "Well spoken Major. Forgive me for forgetting that."

Ralke waved his apology away, his face going red again. "It's nothing, really… you don't need… umm, I'll go to the mess and get some sandwiches for her." He turned abruptly and walked away. Falman turned back to face the pit and looked down at Edward, who was still completely unaware of everything around her. Major Grey was a nice young man, Falman thought. Easily manipulated, but nice. Falman smiled.

* * *

_The Fuhrer has appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Elric to the post of Military Liaison to the Central Council. _

"What does it mean?" Breda asked as he stood beside Fuery. They were all looking at the sheet of paper lying on the only desk left in the office. It had been hand-delivered and after Hawkeye had read it aloud she had let it drop to the desk and they had stared at it in shock.

"Exactly what it says, Breda," Roy replied with a small smirk.

"It doesn't seem right. Ed's only twenty and a Lieutenant-Colonel. The last one was a Brigadier-General and over fifty. Why's Ed been picked?"

"I'm sure the Fuhrer has his reasons," Roy said calmly. He had come back from the inspection and found them all gathered around the notice. That sentence was beneath the official letterhead of the Fuhrer's office and above his signature and date. There was no other information provided and Roy wondered what the Fuhrer was up to. Usually such announcements were accompanied by public biographies of both the out-going and incoming appointees. This time there was nothing. Not even a ceremony or meeting to announce it. Just the single sentence on the single sheet of paper. And seeing it made official like this was making Roy question it more than he had before. Before he had been concerned for Edward but now he was seeing it from a military perspective and he wasn't sure he liked the ramifications.

"Does Edward know about this?" Riza asked, looking across at him.

"Yes." Roy's smirk widened. "She knows."

"You knew about it too, Chief," Havoc noted. "You're not surprised at all. This is why the Fuhrer's office called you yesterday, isn't it?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, that was tell to me it would be announced today even though Edward's not here."

"She is not going to be happy," Fuery remarked in a thoughtful tone.

"How'd you figure that, Fuery?" Breda asked.

"Ed's going to have to attend meetings and formal functions. She's going to have to be diplomatic and polite." Fuery looked at them all. "Can you imagine how Ed's going to react to that?"

"She is going to hate that." Hawkeye spoke decisively. "How could you agree to this, Roy?" Hawkeye accused him and he blinked at her.

"I had nothing to do with it," he replied. "Edward knew about this before I did." He paused and looked at them all. The new member of his office, Sergeant Berent was watching everyone, obviously trying not to draw attention to himself. Roy was tempted to ask the man to leave the office for a moment but decided against it. He was going to have to learn how this office worked and there was no easy way to do that. "Edward is not impressed with this appointment but she has no choice in the matter. I believe she has discussed her feelings about it with both the Fuhrer and Councillor Kinase."

They were silent for a moment. "I bet they were pretty violent discussions," Breda said as a slow grin appeared on his round face.

"Now that's one tantrum I would've loved to have heard," Havoc breathed as he tried to imagine Ed's reaction.

Berent's eyes were getting wider as he listened. He had been in the office for a day and a half and most of that time had been spent running around. He hadn't had much contact with any of them except for Major Hawkeye. She had sent him from one end of Headquarters to the other several times. He knew the way to the new office better than the back of his hand and he was beginning to dread the words _'I have a job for you Sergeant'_ even if they were spoken in a polite gentle voice. Last night he had crawled into his dorm and wondered what had been worse about his first day. The complete exhaustion from running everywhere, or receiving all the sympathetic looks once they knew where he had come from. It had been hard to choose. And this morning had started as a carbon copy of yesterday. Until that notice had arrived, and it had brought back all of his nerves and reminded him of just why he had gotten all those sympathetic looks. _Normal_ offices didn't have staff members that looked so pleased at the thought of an altercation of one of their own with the Fuhrer of all people.

He remembered the Lieutenant-Colonel. It was hard not to remember her. The argumentative voice, the long golden hair and bright golden eyes and her completely confident manner. He remembered her better than he remembered the actual interview. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that she wasn't in the office now or not. It was hard to know. The thought of working here was already overwhelming, to have her thrown into it as well was inconceivable to imagine. It would have to be like being in the middle of a war zone after the insults he had seen going back and forth last time.

"When people ring, the line is that it is a great honour for the Lieutenant-Colonel and we are all pleased for her. We know she will fulfil the duties and obligations in a manner befitting such an appointment." Roy paused as he thought. "Any personal questions are to be ignored. We do not discuss the personal lives of any soldier with anyone and you can say that if they get insistent."

"What's going to happen when Ed returns?" Fuery suddenly asked. "Will she come back to us, or will they put her somewhere else now?"

"Edward will return to us," Roy said firmly. All except Berent heard the unspoken '_to me'_.

* * *

"A message from Central, General," Colonel Becfor said as he approached. General Sarin nodded as he closed the file in front of him.

"What is it?"

"It's…" he paused and then stood still as he read the message. There was only one sentence. "The Fuhrer has appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Elric to the post of Military Liaison to the Central Council."

"_What?_" Sarin sat up straight and held his hand out, fingers moving impatiently for the paper. Becfor handed it over quickly and Sarin read it. "Is this all?"

"Yes Sir. It was rung through a few minutes ago."

Sarin frowned. "What about Elric? Was there any message for her?"

"No Sir."

"So… either she already knows… has she had any contact with the Fuhrer's office since her arrival?"

"No Sir. The only calls have been to Lieutenant-General Mustang's office."

"Can we monitor those calls?"

"There are ways to do that, Sir."

"How long will it take to put in place?"

"I can have it set up for tomorrow, Sir."

"Do that. And I want someone to list any calls that are made or received today. If she doesn't already know then someone has to notify her. See if you can have someone nearby to listen. Although it seems odd to think she hasn't been told. It's unusual for the Fuhrer's office to make such an elementary mistake." Sarin paused. "Ring the Fuhrer's office for me and I'll speak to him. And then tell Elric I want to see her. Do not mention the appointment."

"Yes Sir," Becfor said as he saluted and left the office. He was back in less than two minutes.

"I'm sorry Sir, but the Fuhrer's office says he is unavailable."

Sarin frowned. "Try Lieutenant-General Mustang."

Becfor returned in less than five minutes, an apologetic look on his face.

"They say they are all pleased for the Lieutenant-Colonel to have been chosen for this honour."

"And the Lieutenant-General?"

"Was not in the office Sir. Apparently they are in the process of moving offices and he was unavailable."

Sarin ground his teeth together for a moment. "The Fuhrer is up to something and I want to know what." He took a deep breath and regained his control. "Get Elric in here."

* * *

It took Falman three tries to get Edward's attention and the golden eyes were still distracted when she finally looked up from the pile of debris she was going through.

"What is it Falman?" she asked, her fingers still moving and her eyes beginning to look down again.

"Colonel Becfor is here. General Sarin wants to see you."

Awareness began to appear and Edward blinked. "Why?"

"The General is asking for you not me, Sir," Falman replied and Ed scrunched her nose up. She was visibly reluctant to move and made a disgruntled noise low in her throat.

"I'd better go I guess." She blew upwards and her bangs lifted briefly. "Get Stost down here and get him to take this stuff to his lab for testing."

"Colonel Stost left an hour ago."

"Oh." Ed blinked. She hadn't noticed. She stood up and felt her back twinge slightly. She stretched and suddenly most of her muscles twinged. "I guess I got carried away again," she muttered.

"Yes, you did," Falman replied blandly and she glared half-heartedly at him.

"I don't need you to agree with me."

"Of course not Sir," Falman said in an agreeing tone and Edward's glare strengthened before she sighed. She wasn't going to win against him and they both knew it.

"Next time it's going to be Fuery here," she threatened and he smiled.

"Yes Sir."

Edward tugged at her braid in exasperation as he agreed again. "Where's Becfor?" she asked rather than lose again.

"Up top," Falman replied. She nodded.

"Thanks." She headed toward the ramp leading out of the pit and walked up it. She could hear Falman talking to Ralke and ignored him as she came out of the pit and looked around for the Colonel. He was standing near the desk looking at the plans and she crossed over to him.

"Colonel Becfor?"

"Ah, Lieutenant-Colonel. General Sarin wishes to see you for a moment. I hope this is not inconvenient for you?"

"Of course not, Sir," Edward replied easily, swallowing any resentment at having been interrupted. Generals didn't care if it was inconvenient or not, she knew that. They said jump and you were supposed to ask how high. Edward could jump, she just never landed where they expected. She clapped her hands and the dirt fell from her uniform. She picked up her jacket from the desk and slipped it on. "Ready to go, Sir," she said as she did the buttons up.

Becfor hid his frown. She seemed remarkably casual for someone being summoned by a General. She had been at ease that first day as well, he recalled. He turned away and began to walk towards the building and she followed. He could hear her footsteps behind him and he wondered if she knew about the appointment. He didn't think so. No-one would be _that_ casual if they knew. A military liaison to any Council was an important position, responsible for maintaining the healthy relationship the State enjoyed with its civilian population. To be named to the Central Council from where all other councils received their mandates had to be an exceptional honour and a great matter of concern, he thought. Especially to someone as young and low ranked as the woman behind him. Becfor had risen through the ranks serving his General almost blindly. He never questioned, he never doubted and he never looked back. Now he was the General's confidant and right hand man. If the General doubted the truth of just who this Elric was, then so did he. But her manner was confusing him. He didn't think anyone would be so casual and at ease if they had things to hide.

Edward followed. Now she was no longer distracted by the investigation her thoughts were heading into the familiar places of Roy-land. They'd be moving to the new office today and she could just imagine him trying to avoid anything that resembled paperwork or heavy lifting. She frowned slightly. Hadn't he said something about inspections this week for all the departments? She'd have to ask. She wondered how Research was going. He was supposed to be watching over them for her. Something else to ask him about. Except she had hung up on him last night and she just knew he would want to talk about that. She sighed silently. _Stupid, stupid._ She had spent a sleepless night and only by concentrating on the investigation had she managed to avoid tying herself in mental knots over it. She tried to force herself to think of something else.

Today was the day she was supposed to have been doing his paperwork. She had been looking forward to his reaction to her paperwork. She had no doubt that he would set it up again. He had been looking forward to making her do his paperwork. The thought that they'd be in the same office made her feel slightly warm and brought back the nerves again.

She frowned. She'd been in his office and working just outside of it for a few weeks now so why did that thought suddenly seem so strange. It wasn't as if he'd… _idiot, the office is where he kissed you for the first time. And you kissed him back. Oh shut up. It'll be a new office now. Doesn't matter, you'd be in the same office, you know he'd set up a table in there for you. Are you worried about being alone with him? Of course not! Roy knows how to keep work and…and…what… play? … personal matters? … separated. _Ed shook her head. This was stupid. She was trying to distract herself from the major problem here. She'd hung up on him. She'd hung up on him because Roy was thinking of a future and she wasn't. Because she hadn't considered it and he had. Because thinking of a future _with him_ scared her. And she didn't like feeling scared. Of anything. But this didn't seem to be a fear she could face in her usual manner. There was no-one to hit, no-one to shout at, just herself and him and all those thoughts and feelings of like. This was a fear that seemed to want to push her forward into those thoughts and feelings. The more she thought about it, the more scared it became that she wouldn't go forward.

Edward bit her lip. Of course she was going to go forward, she always went forward. She just wasn't going to do it yet. She had an investigation to do, she had to find a way to apologise for hanging up without giving him the reason and she had to start thinking properly again. Clear thinking would help her understand this irrational fear better. She was sure of it.

All the other questions could wait until she got back, it was pointless to think about them now. She was just borrowing trouble as Pinako would say and thinking of the old lady helped her to regain her mental balance. Despite agreeing that she had to return straight to Central, she really did want to try and get to Resembool to see them all. She paused. Maybe Falman would know a way she could do that. She smirked. She'd bet he knew several ways it could be accomplished.

"Colonel Becfor and Lieutenant-Colonel Elric to see the General." She heard Becfor's voice and looked up. They'd made it to the General's office as she'd been lost in thought and she watched as the secretary nodded.

"He's expecting you, Sir."

Ed followed as the Colonel knocked on the door and they entered after hearing a muffled noise from within. Ed found herself missing being able to kick and slam her way into an office. This office had no bookcases and the walls were wood panelled. The carpet was thick and there were heavy plush curtains at the windows. Edward kept her face blank as she looked around briefly.

"I have something I wish to show you, Lieutenant-Colonel," General Sarin spoke abruptly and pushed a sheet of paper across his polished desk. Becfor picked it up and handed it to her and she read it.

General Sarin watched closely as the paper fluttered in the Lieutenant-Colonel's hand. It seemed to take her a long time to read that single sentence but suddenly her head lifted and she handed the page back to Becfor.

"Thank you for showing me that," she said slowly.

"You knew about this?"

"Yes Sir." Edward nodded without adding any details. She wasn't about to say anything to someone she didn't know. She was also keeping a very tight rein on her temper. Even though she had known about it, she didn't think much of their way of notifying everyone about it. _The bastard is going to hear about this,_ she promised herself. _And_ _I bet the asshole had something to do with this as well. _

"This statement is rather lacking in details, Lieutenant-Colonel, which causes me to query its veracity. However the Fuhrer is unavailable and so is your commanding officer."

Edward frowned. "I believe the Lieutenant-General is moving office today, Sir. You could try Councillor Kinase. He knows about it."

"The First Councillor?" General Sarin noted the easy way she spoke. "Very well, we will check with his office." There was no protest and she simply nodded again. The General recalled Becfor's report on the conversation she had had with the Councillor Locke. He had mentioned the possibility of bad feeling between Elric and the First Councillor but Sarin couldn't sense any at the moment. Sarin knew it wasn't easy to work with some people and that you couldn't always be honest about it. Perhaps it was a similar thing here. Elric was keeping how she felt hidden because that's what good soldiers did. They obeyed and said nothing. He wondered how good a soldier Elric was.

"Tomorrow you are invited to dinner with the officers, Lieutenant-Colonel."

"Ah, but the investigation…" Edward began, not liking the sound of that at all. It had a formal feel to it. It didn't sound like something she wanted to do. Dinner in the mess was more her style.

"I will expect you to attend," Sarin said in a heavy voice. He hadn't expected her to offer up an excuse not to appear. One moment she was behaving as he would expect, the next she wasn't. He didn't understand her and it unsettled him. He liked to be in command and control and without even trying she was disrupting his sense of security. "It commences at nineteen hundred hours. Colonel Becfor will escort you."

Edward bit her tongue to avoid letting her sigh become audible. "Yes Sir." There was little else she could do. And she knew she'd have to start getting used to these sorts of things now the appointment was announced. The faint hope that the Fuhrer would change his mind had disappeared the moment she had read it. _One day_ she thought. _One day I am going to wake up and not be an idiot._

* * *

Roy Mustang might be all too familiar with the sounds of his door being kicked open but the Fuhrer wasn't. So he was rather startled when there was a loud crash against his door and it suddenly flew open. First Councillor Eric Kinase stood in the now open doorway and he raised his hand to halt the door's rebound before it hit him. With a quick movement he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"What game are you playing now, Michael?" he demanded as he crossed the room. "Do you know how many Councillors I've had ringing me wanting to know just who this Lieutenant-Colonel Elric is? I've even had the _military _calling me because you won't answer your phone!" Brown eyes glared.

"Eric…"

"You didn't tell them _anything_! Where's the personal details? Not even her full name was there! A lot of the callers have been asking if the announcement is actually real." Eric stood in front of the desk, his arms crossed in front of his chest and staring hard at the Fuhrer. "Does Edward even know, or have you left her out of it as well?"

"Eric, sit down."

"No. Not until you've explained this."

"Fine." The Fuhrer leant back in his chair and surveyed his angry friend. "Yes, Edward does know about the announcement. The personal details will be released later, probably at the same time as we hold a dinner to officially introduce her to everyone." The pale eyes hardened slightly. "I'm not playing a game here, Eric. You know that."

"I thought I did, but not after something like this. This undermines everything. People are going to question this, they'll question _you_. Do you want them to doubt what you're doing? When you fail to give them reasons and details, they'll make up their own and that is not going to be to your benefit!"

"And to every query you've had, you've told them that the Lieutenant-Colonel is away on assignment and details will be released when she returns. Because that will stop anyone casting those doubts and aspersions." Sterben paused as Eric blinked at the Fuhrer's correct guess.. "I know you too well, Eric. Even as angry as you are, you will do all you can to protect me."

Eric snorted. "As if!" Eric put his hands on the desk and leant forward. "I've known you and I've supported you for thirty odd years now. I trust you but I have to be honest and say I think you're going about this the wrong way."

"Then suggest another way." They stared hard at each other before Eric gave an exasperated sound and flung his arms in the air before slamming his hands back onto the desk.

"Fine! There is no other way, but for God's sake Michael, _some_ warning would have been appreciated!"

"Four years ago everyone would have accepted that announcement without questioning it at all," the Fuhrer remarked, seemingly ignoring Eric's complaint. "You have taken note of those that have rung haven't you?"

"As well as those that haven't. I'm not stupid," Eric replied with a scowl. He was not appeased yet and he had no qualms at showing it. "And Sarin's office _has _called," he added.

"I would have been surprised if he hadn't. Sarin likes to know. The lack of information will bite at him."

"Edward is there. He just needs to ask her."

"And she will merely confuse him more." Sterben smiled. "You saw how she was with strangers at the dinner. Polite and honest without saying any more than she needed to. She's not going to tell him much at all."

Eric ran his hand through his hair. "That Colonel of his was with Locke during their meeting and he's asked for her file. Sarin's going to know more than most."

"Mustang and his office have sent a doctored file."

Really?" Eric paused. "How much have they changed?"

"I don't know, but I would imagine there's nothing in there now that could be used against Edward or any of them."

"It'll have to match the story given out at the dinner." Eric thought for a moment. "If Sarin can't find anything, would he consider a more direct approach?"

"It's a possibility, but he's always been so cautious. Doing everything so slowly and carefully. He's been aiming at next year's Assembly and I don't know if he would jeopardise everything he's achieved so far. And trying to get Edward on his side would be a big risk to take."

"He won't take it and Edward wouldn't accept it anyway."

"He doesn't know that."

For the first time since he had entered Eric's face cleared and he laughed briefly. "He'd only have to spend some time with her to know she won't change loyalties just because a General tells her to." Eric paused. "Much as it would be a good way to trap him, he won't fall for that bait. This announcement will distract him further and that will give Locke more time."

Fuhrer Michael Sterben sighed. "I'm not as patient as Sarin. I wish he would take the bait. All this waiting around for proof gets tiring."

Eric rolled his eyes. "You're just greedy. You want it both ways."

"Nothing wrong with that."

* * *

"There's a lot of people here," Van said as he stood in the doorway of the exercise hall.

"There sure are," Ralke agreed. They stared at the crowd in front of them. All they could see were the blue backs of soldiers all looking forward. Edward couldn't tell how many deep they were.

Edward sighed. She had left the General's office and gone back to the investigation site but before she could get back to work Ralke had reminded her of her match with Thoms. He and Van had straightaway offered to escort her and she had gone with them, as had everyone else. The others had slipped ahead and Edward was left standing there with Ralke, Van and Falman behind her.

"You could make a fortune selling tickets," Van commented.

"Don't say anything, Falman. I don't need to have a betting ring set up here," Edward said without looking around.

"South already has an efficient betting system in place, Boss."

"Fucking great," Ed muttered and then straightened. "Okay, let's cut through them."

Falman stepped forward and just in front of Edward and Ralke and Van closed up behind her. Together they marched in their small uneven square towards the crowd their boots thumping. Heads turned to see and as the small group showed no signs of slowing, people began to move out of the way. Edward looked straight ahead and kept on marching making them move faster. Fortunately the crowd was not too thick.

Sergeant Thoms was waiting along with another couple of sergeants. All were in training gear and Edward glanced at them for a moment as she kept walking to where Thoms stood. He saluted her and she nodded back.

"Good to see you Thoms," she said with a smile. "Who are your friends?" she asked without looking at them.

"A couple of the other trainers. They were curious to see you, Ma'am."

"Don't call me Ma'am. Sir is fine," Edward said firmly before adding in a lighter tone. "Along with everyone else." She undid her jacket, slipping it off and handing it to Falman.

"Yes Sir," Thoms replied hurriedly, then looked around. "I didn't think we'd have such an audience," he said.

"It happens," Ed shrugged. "Do you want me to take a handicap?" She held up her right hand.

"No, Sir. I'd rather not."

"You sure?" Ed asked and he nodded. She said nothing more but decided to treat him like Al and use her right for blocking and the occasional strike. He might not want her to hold back, but Ed knew it was just too dangerous if she didn't restrict the use of her right. She took the butt skirt off and rolled her shoulders slowly. She was looking forward to this. She could let out some of the frustrations she was feeling with herself. _Nothing like beating someone else up when you're the one being the idiot, is there Ed?_

Ed smoothed down her shirt sleeves and tugged her gloves straight as she walked out to the centre of the floor. She tugged her braid to make sure it was tied tightly and then watched Thoms approach. A nod passed between them and they moved, Ed diving low as Thoms kicked out.

Falman watched the crowd as much as he watched the sparring. He wasn't skilled in physical combat but he recognised the look of those that were and there seemed to be quite a few among the audience. Eyes that managed to follow the fast moving pair, the ones that didn't 'ooh' and 'ah' at particular moves.

They were spread among the crowd usually in pairs that stood silent and intent and he was struck by how many there seemed to be. Out of the hundred or so spectators nearly half appeared to be intensely interested. Falman looked over at the two other training sergeants and saw the same look on their faces. South Headquarters was not a large base, nor was it located in an area considered anything but peaceful. So why so many, Falman wondered.

* * *

Edward frowned as she held the phone. Why wasn't anyone answering? She knew she was ringing a bit earlier than usual but she hadn't expected that there'd be no-one there. After the sparring match she had gone back to the site and worked until Falman had managed to persuade her to go and clean up before dinner. The whole time she was showering she had been gathering her courage and as soon as she had finished she had put her cleaned uniform on and headed straight to the phone. And he wasn't there. No-one was there.

This wasn't fair she thought. She'd gathered up the courage to face him and talk to him and he wasn't there? It was almost like a betrayal. She wanted to talk to him and he wasn't there. If anything she would have expected him to be ringing her demanding explanations in the guise of polite questions.

She hung up and stared at the phone for a long moment before picking it up and trying again. She heard it ringing and sat there for five minutes listening to it, her thoughts becoming darker and more confused.

"Ed?" Ralke's voice had her looking up. "You okay? You look a bit pale."

"No, I'm fine." She put the phone down and stood up. "Let's go to dinner."

Ralke studied her. Her voice was strangely flat and there was a puzzled, almost hurt expression on her pale face. He was tempted to ask again but Ed walked past him and he turned to follow her.

"How is the Lieutenant-General?" Falman asked as she appeared.

"I don't know. No-one was there," Ed replied in that same flat voice and kept walking. Ralke only had time to exchange a confused look with Falman before he hurried after her.

* * *

Roy Mustang picked up the phone and began to dial. There was a small smile on his face as well as a determined look in his eye. He was going to get an explanation of Ed's behaviour no matter how much she tried to avoid it. He knew all her tricks and he wasn't going to let her escape. Being so far apart he didn't want any misunderstandings to develop. He listened to the ringing with anticipation.

"_Lieutenant-Colonel Elric's office."_ Falman's voice sounded in his ear and he frowned.

"Falman? Where's Edward?"

"_Ah Lieutenant-General, you just missed her. She's gone to dinner."_

Roy looked at the clock as Falman spoke. This was the time they were supposed to be talking. "She usually rings in at this time. Is there something special about dinner this evening?" he asked trying to hide his puzzlement and disappointment.

"_No Sir. She did ring a little earlier than normal, but she said there was no-one there so she went to dinner."_

"We've been here. And the phones are working. Fuery made sure of that earlier." Roy's frown deepened. Everyone had been in the office for the last three hours unpacking and settling in to the new office, although somehow he had ended up doing paperwork while the others had unpacked.

"_Our phones are working fine too, Sir, although we've been notified that some work will be carried out on them tomorrow."_

Roy let his breath out slowly. Edward had said no-one had answered and yet his phone hadn't rung. Had she really rung him or was she avoiding him? It was completely out of character for Edward to lie about something like this. If he was right and she had run because of something he had said, he knew she always came back. She'd run out cursing and insulting him and then come back blaming him for whatever had upset her in the first place. But last night she had hung up on him and tonight somehow he had missed her. It didn't make sense. It just wasn't Edward to be behaving this way.

"How did today go?" he asked Falman, wondering if there had been something else that could have upset her.

"_The investigation is progressing smoothly Sir. The Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain Grant think they are getting close to the actual explosion point. Colonel Stost has begun testing some of the debris for traces of chemical and explosive residue."_

"Stost? He's from South Headquarters?" Roy asked as he wrote the name on a pad.

"_Yes Sir. He's in charge of the research section here. He's very efficient. He and Colonel Becfor have ensured that we have everything we require."_

"Colonel Becfor?" Roy straightened up. He remembered that name. That was the Colonel who had requested Ed's file.

"_General Sarin appointed him as our contact if we have any requests or problems, Sir."_

"I hope there haven't been any problems." Roy kept his voice light.

"_No Sir. Everyone has been more than helpful."_

"Yes, Edward has mentioned that often." He paused. "She is behaving herself, isn't she Falman?"

"_Yes Sir."_ Roy could hear the smile in Falman's voice. _"Majors Grey and Dayel are keeping an eye on her and making sure she eats properly. She even found someone to spar with and I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few more wanting to spar as well."_

Roy frowned slightly as Falman became almost chatty. "Really?"

"_Yes. There were quite a lot of spectators at the sparring match this afternoon. I'm sure some of them will be asking for matches as well."_

Roy thought for a moment. "Edward always complains of never finding anyone close to her skill level. I hope she won't be too disappointed."

"_Oh no Sir. They appeared most competent."_

"Make sure she doesn't overdo it, Falman. I doubt the General would appreciate her disabling his soldiers."

"_She was very careful, Sir. Sergeant Thoms only had bruises afterwards." _ Roy added that name to his pad.

"Good." Roy hesitated for a moment. "Did anyone ring for her today?"

"_No Sir."_ Roy knew Falman was puzzled by the question. He could hear the unasked question echoing.

"I see. There was an announcement today regarding Edward and I'm sure South Headquarters would have been notified as well."

"_Ah, the General wanted to see her this afternoon."_

"Edward has been named Military Liaison to Central Council." Roy decided to speak clearly. The appointment was official, it would be common knowledge soon enough so there was no harm in being open about it.

"_She seemed a bit tense when she returned, but nothing major, Sir." _Falman's voice was calm but Roy heard the effort behind it. Falman was surprised and trying to hide it. Roy smiled. It always took something extraordinary to shake Falman's composure.

"Good. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fuhrer's office contacts you at some point although I doubt much will happen until after the investigation is completed."

"_I'll make sure there is no conflict between the two, Sir."_

"Thank you. Edward would appreciate that." The smirk on his face was evident in his words and they both knew that appreciative would be the last thing Edward was going to be. "And you might as well tell her that we are proud of her," Roy added with a wider smirk. Edward would react to a comment like that. Probably not enough to ring him and rant but hopefully enough to shake her out of whatever was bothering her and get her talking to him again.

"_Yes Sir."_

He was staring at the phone after Falman had hung up when Hawkeye appeared in the doorway.

"Finished already, Sir?" she asked as she came forward to collect some of the files on his desk.

"Yes," he replied absently looking at her. "I have some names I want you to check."

"Yes, Sir. You did notify Edward of the new number for the office, didn't you?"

* * *

Ralke and Van exchanged a worried glance before looking at Ed again. The mess was fairly busy and they could feel the glances and stares directed at them, or rather at Edward. It wasn't as intense as this morning but it was an ever present awareness of eyes around them.

Edward was ignoring it as normal, but what wasn't normal was the fixed stare she was directing at her tray. Ralke and Van weren't sure if she was actually seeing the tray or if she was aware of what she was doing to the mashed potatoes with her fork. She formed shapes and then moulded them into other shapes. Continually, without hesitating, without pausing cubes became pyramids then globes and then into a cone.

Something was on her mind but they didn't know what. They had never seen her like this and they didn't know what to do. She hadn't responded to her name and her eyes never wavered but even as her eyes never moved her face did. She would frown deeply then go blank before frowning again. A continual procession of thoughts to match the procession of shapes on her tray.

"You think something went wrong in Central?" Ralke asked Van in a low voice.

"She said she didn't get through," Van replied with a frown. "She was a bit strange last night as well."

"She called the Lieutenant-General a bastard last night."

"She always does that," Van pointed out. "But she's never spiteful about it. It's almost like she does it out of habit. Maybe she needed to talk to him and she's behaving like this because she couldn't."

"Why would she want to talk to him? She only rings to report on what we've done for the day."

"She had that meeting with the General. Maybe something happened there and she needed to tell them." Van leant forward, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin between his hands. "Sarin's an old fashioned soldier like the ones my dad used to talk about. Ed's the complete opposite. Maybe they clashed and he's going to report her."

Ralke's eyes opened wide before he started shaking his head. "No. Ed wouldn't do that. I know she has a temper but she always seems to be in control of it. And she's always polite and friendly with people. She doesn't lose it in front of others."

"What about her little outburst when Councillor Locke came around?"

"Once he actually appeared she was fine. It was only before that that she was kinda complaining, and there was only us there," Ralke remarked as he thought about it.

"I'd be an idiot to lose my temper in front of superior officers and strange Generals, wouldn't I?" Ed's voice startled them and they turned to see her looking at them. Both looked disconcerted and wondered just how much she had heard.

"Ah," Van began as Ralke slowly went pink.

"You're a pair of morons. Discussing me while I'm still here." Ed looked from one to the other as she spoke. There was no censure in her tone but there was no amused gleam in her eyes either.

"And you've been ignoring us and everything else," Van said in return, getting over his moment of surprise. "And would you rather we talked behind your back?"

Ed grimaced at them and they began to grin back. "It'd be nice if no-one talked about me," she grumbled and their grins grew wider.

"You know that's not going to happen," Ralke said.

"I know. But I can wish can't I?" She let her breath out. "I know I'm being an idiot, okay."

"It's ok, Ed." Ralke dropped his eyes for a moment and the pink appeared in his cheeks again. "You're our friend and we're concerned about you. We want to help if we can."

"He's right," Van said. "We're worried."

Ed looked down at her tray. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't had anyone tell her that for a long time. Al had always done it. The others had found ways around it, phrasing it as a question, giving her the liberty to refuse and keep it all to herself. They had known and so had she, but they had avoided the actual words. It wasn't that she had wanted to hear the words. She almost preferred not to hear them because the glib 'it's okay, there's nothing wrong' she would normally have used as a reply didn't want to be said. She looked up and saw the sincerity in their faces.

"It's…"

"Don't say it's nothing," Van interrupted her in a low voice and she scowled at him. "And don't look at me like that either." He stared at her for a moment. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but don't brush us aside either."

"You're right, I don't want to talk about it," Ed started and then ran her hand over her head to tug at her braid as she heard the abrupt tone of her voice. "Damn it, I'm sorry you two."

"You sounded like a real bitch just then," Van noted with a small smile and Ed stared at him.

"I… _what_?"

"You sounded like a bitch," Van repeated and leant back in his chair. "You kind of spoiled it by apologising though, bitches don't do that."

Ralke was trying not to choke as he watched. Ed was beginning to glare at Van and he could see her jaw working from side to side. Gloved hands were fisting and she was audibly breathing. Van stayed in his laidback pose, his eyes bright and his smile getting wider as he tried not to laugh. He hadn't managed to rile Ed up like this before and he was enjoying the change it brought to her.

Ed stood up slowly and looked as if she was going to say something. She stood there for what seemed a long moment before she turned and left the Mess. Ralke doubled over, his eyes wide and his laughter as muted as he could keep it.

"You have no idea how lucky you are," he managed to say.

"Probably not," Van grinned and then let his breath out. "I really can't figure her out sometimes. She's different to what she was when we were all in Central. She seems so upfront and yet she's not giving anything away."

"She never spoke much about herself before anyway," Ralke reminded him.

"I know but, I don't know… it just feels different this time." Van's grin faded. "She's always been somewhere out of reach of the rest of us, but I never felt that it mattered. I never felt the distance before."

"She seems the same as always to me," Ralke said with a frown as he tried to understand.

"She completely spaced out on us, Ralke. That's what she does when she's working, she concentrates and everything else disappears. But we aren't working now and she's never become so lost in thought like that before about anything not work related."

"We know she doesn't want to tell us about it. If she wants to think about it, then that's fine. Don't you think that it's because we are her friends that she can space out like that?"

Van smiled. "You always look for the best possible meaning for everything." He shrugged. "Maybe you're right, and it's just the wrong time of the month for her." Van's eyebrows rose as Ralke began to blush. "What? You grow up with three sisters and you learn stuff you really wish you didn't."

* * *

Ed walked quickly through the halls back to the temporary office. He had called her a bitch and she was furious. She wasn't a bitch. Girls, _females_, were bitches, _not me. Not _Edward _Elric. I wasn't doing anything different and he called me a bitch? I was a bit snappy, that's all. That's normal, so why did he say I was being a bitch? Damn it, it's because I look like a damned woman! The guys are going to start thinking I'm behaving like one too._

Ed frowned. She hadn't considered her femaleness for while. It had disappeared behind everything else. _Am I getting used to being female? I haven't had to do any 'female' things these last few days. None of that dressing up or anything. But I'm not acting like a woman. I'm just being myself. Aren't I? I haven't done anything different or strange. _

_You hung up on Roy,_ the little voice reminded her and she grimaced at it. _I didn't do that because I'm female._ Ed paused. _Actually I'm still not sure why I did that. It's not like I haven't wanted to do that before, but it just kinda happened and now I'm all confused again. Confused and running. _Ed stopped in the middle of the hall.

"I shouldn't be running. That's not what I do." She blinked and started walking again. _I won't run this time._

She entered the temporary office and found it empty and dark. She went straight to her desk and picked up the phone, dialling automatically as she flicked on the desk lamp. She heard the familiar ringing tone and listened to it as she looked at her paper strewn desk. It took her several moments before she realised what she was seeing on one of the papers on her desk.

"A new…" She took the phone away from her ear and looked at it and then back at the paper. "You are fucking joking me!" She dropped the phone and groaned. No wonder she hadn't gotten through. She'd rung the old office. She hadn't been looking forward to speaking with him simply because her behaviour the night before, but the moment she hadn't been able to get through she'd become swamped by regret, relief and anger at both him and herself. And an urgent contrary desire to hear his voice.

The thoughts she had locked herself into hadn't solved anything except reinforced her growing opinion that she was becoming more of an idiot that usual. And it was all Roy's fault. If it hadn't been for him saying all that stuff she wouldn't have hung up and then she wouldn't have been too worried – _and frightened_ – _am not!_ – to speak to him again. It was a nice and well thought out line of logic. And even Edward knew it was false. _Why am I trying to lie to myself?_

Ed's fingers were dialling the new number as she thought and Hawkeye's voice startled her.

"Hawkeye?" Ed asked trying to get her mind back on track. "You're there?"

"_Good evening Edward. I'm just making sure everything is complete after our move. How are you?"_

"Uh, fine, thanks." Ed chewed at her lip. "I … It's been busy. Um, how are you? The move went okay?"

"_We're all doing well here. It was busy for us as well, but it's all done now."_ Ed could hear a smile in the words. _"You've missed him, but I can give you his home phone number."_

Ed froze. How did Hawkeye know that she wanted to talk to Roy? Then Ed groaned silently. Of course Hawkeye would know. The whole office knew. Even the Fuhrer knew. No-one had actually said anything about it, apart from Al. She had only spoken to Gracia about it, but she'd bet that the others had been discussing it.

"_Ed? Did you want the number?"_

Ed had to swallow before she could speak. "Yeah. Thanks Hawkeye." She was frowning as she wrote the number down, feeling that she had to say something, but nothing came to mind and she hung up with a casual goodbye and more thanks, Hawkeye's _'Good luck'_ echoing in her ears.

She stared at the phone. All the worrying and thinking and confusing she was doing was coming from within. No-one else was doing it. The others knew and were leaving her alone…they were leaving them both alone, letting them work it out themselves. _And I'm trying to solve all this on my own. Like the idiot I am. There's no solution to this, it's not a problem. No-one else sees it as a problem, it's just me making it into one. Everyone else has already figured it out. It's just me that's stupid. We're in this together._

She began dialling. _What am I going to say? _I_ don't know. I'm not going to apologise. He'd only get smug and smirk at me. The bastard hasn't changed _that_ much. Although it doesn't irritate me as much as it did in the past. It's what we do, it's what we've always done, and it's just different now. Him and his fucking future. Why'd he have to go and say all that and send me running around and chasing my mental tail again? Why am I such an idiot in the first place?_

"_Hello?" _

"…I'm sorry and you're a bastard! Making me think like this is seriously rotting my brain here, Roy. I'm getting a bit tired running around in these circles you know."

"_Edward, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm glad you called." _Roy's voice was warm and laced with his smile. She could hear surprise but mainly pleasure in his words.

"You changed your office number," she accused.

"_Yes…"_

"Why didn't you tell us? I rang the old number several times," Ed exaggerated, keeping the accusatory note in her voice.

"_I'm sorry. Actually there are two new numbers there now. Fuery had to put in a line for your use."_

"My use? What are you talking about?" Ed frowned.

"_As Military Liaison you get your own phone line."_

"No fucking way!" Ed's voice rose.

"_It's just as well the new office is a large one, because now it's half yours." _

"You are joking me, bastard. Tell me this is a joke!"

"_I'm sorry Edward. There is no joke here. When you come back, we have a nice desk with a brand new phone on it all ready set up for you. You might even need to get a secretary."_

Ed struggled to keep from shouting at him. It wasn't his fault and he was trying to ease what he knew was unsettling news to her. And if she was honest, she'd rather hear it from him than find out from anyone else. When it came to military matters, she did trust him.

"I don't need this shit right now," Ed groused. "I had the General questioning that damned appointment earlier and now I have to share an office with _you_? How the hell am I supposed to stay sane now?"

"_You're the sanest person I know. Something's bothering you. What is it?"_

"You are!" Ed said without thinking about it and without considering her words. "You and what you said yesterday. All that talk about being together, like there is a future for it, for us. I haven't had a future before. Do you know how strange and …scary that is? Do you know how annoying it is that you can think like that and I can't? _Liking_ you still feels unreal, how am I going to follow you into something I don't understand?"

"_You think I know what a future is? I lost my future when Bradley died. After failing back then, you think this doesn't scare me too? I don't want you to follow me, Edward. I want you to be at my side. We can figure out this future together."_

"It just feels like I'm the only one running in mental circles about this," Ed complained wanting further reassurance.

"_Trust me, you're not the only one confused about this."_

"Why don't you show it then?"

"_Why don't you?"_ The quick response had Ed blinking. _"Up until now, you seemed more resentful than confused. It's not easy for either of us to share how we feel and saying we're in this together barely covers it." _There was a small pause. _"Edward I trust you and I like you. No matter how confusing it gets, no matter how scary it feels, you are not alone. Talk to me so I can talk to you."_

"This is what scares me. That you can say this and not be nervous…"

"_Edward you have no idea how nervous I am. But if you were here right now I doubt I could probably say it as clearly as I am because I have to make you understand and all I can use are words. I can't _see_ how you're reacting. Doing this over the phone is both good and bad. I just hope you know that I mean everything I am saying."_

"You know how to really scare me, don't you?" Ed paused. "I never thought I'd ever trust your word like this. But I do. You have to trust me as well. I was always looking at it from my side. This seems to be very unfair and selfish. No matter how many times I heard or said that we were in it together, I was still thinking of me."

"_I was thinking of you too, Edward." _Roy's voice smiled. _"I've been trying not to be selfish, and if you understand how being selfish here is good for us, then I'm going to be a lot more selfish when you return."_

"Being selfish is good?" Ed wasn't sure what he meant but she could sense a change in him. His voice seemed easier, more confident.

"_Yes, it is, but there's no hurry. It can wait until you return." _

"Are you making a promise there?" Edward queried. Despite his light tone there was an undercurrent she couldn't put a label to.

"_Yes I am."_

Edward paused and her eyes closed for a moment. She didn't understand exactly what he was promising but she had said she trusted him. "I'm not comfortable with promises, Roy. They have a way of ruining your life."

"_I know. We both know that but at some point you have to trust in them again. I can make this one because I know that it depends on you, and I trust you."_

"And I thought I was the biggest idiot I knew, but you've got me beat I think." Edward took a breath. "I don't understand what it is you're promising and I'll probably ruin it, but if I don't trust you now with this, I'm never going to be able to get anywhere. But I also don't want you to think that if your promise is broken that it means the trust is as well. I like you and I do trust in that."

"_I will trust that too, because I like you. I'd kiss you if you were here right now."_

"Bastard," she managed to say as she felt her face burn at his words and she heard him laugh, a nice soft laugh that made her feel even warmer.

"_I know, only to you, Edward."_

"I guess I'd better go now," Ed said after a pause as she began to feel the blush fading.

"_Okay. I'll look forward to talking to you tomorrow night."_

"Same," Ed replied feeling less self-consciousness than she expected. "Shit! I won't be able to, I forgot."

"_Forgot what?"_

"The General invited me… well more like ordered me to dinner with the other officers tomorrow night."

"_Ah, yes, that can happen. Generals can be demanding people."_

"Some more than others," Ed replied pointedly.

"_I'm a reasonable man, Edward." _The smirk was evident and Ed rolled her eyes. _"I wish I could go with you but I know you will be fine. If you want to, you can always ring me here afterwards."_

"Really?" Ed asked, too startled to hide the pleasure that thought gave her.

"_Yes really." _The smirk was gone and there was only a smile to be heard now.

"I might consider it," Ed replied trying to be casual now.

"_You do that,"_ and there was no sarcasm, only enjoyment.

"Good night Roy."

"_Good night Edward."_

* * *

Roy put the phone down and let his breath out. He looked at his hands and saw them tremble. He looked at the fire and wondered why he was feeling so happy when he felt so scared. The moment he had heard her voice he had known it. The longer they had talked and the more they had said, things he hadn't expected to hear, things he had wanted to hear, the more he had felt it.

"Trust me Edward because I think I'm going to fall in love with you and I'm completely terrified."

The thought that he might have fallen already was ignored.

* * *

Edward slept better than she expected. There was definitely less mental confusion and thinking about him was surprisingly calming now. Because she wasn't second guessing her feelings or his. Acceptance at work, she thought wryly. She wondered if it was worth all the confusion and knew it had to be. Nothing ever came easy and she wouldn't trust it if it did.

There were still problems and confusions ahead, she knew that. But she had him to talk to now. If she could get the courage up like she did last night. _I don't need courage, I just need to be frustrated and it all comes pouring out. _

"_Talk to me so I can talk to you_." She repeated the words to her empty room. "Where does he get lines like that? It sounds so stupid now, but last night…" _Last night they had been just what I wanted to hear._

She got out of bed and stretched. It should be a good day except for the evening's duties. Maybe she should ring him at home afterwards. Falman would do the regular report and she had no official reason to ring him but she could use the dinner as an excuse. She began to smile.

* * *

…

Author's Note: Every time I think I can get a chance to write something, life conspires against me… but it's finally here again… and a longer chapter to make up for my shortcomings… thank you to you all for being so patient and supportive... I really do appreciate it…Takk fyrir...

Special thanks to Marylover who has started the undeniably insane task of translating this monster into Spanish… she has done some brilliant translations already including probably the best fma fic of all, Full Circle, so I am very honoured she's tackling this beast…and I know how much the recognition and praise embarrasses her… sorry Mary and thank you for listening when I needed the other day… smiles…

silken :)


	36. Dinner And What Went Before

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 36: Dinner And What Went Before  
**

Colonel Naylor placed his laden tray on the table with a small thud as he sat down. The two men already seated there didn't spare him a glance as they continued eating and Naylor started on his breakfast without saying a word. It was only when his tray was nearly cleared that he spoke.

"Phone tap will be in place by ten this morning."

"Thanks Naylor. I'll let the General know," Colonel Becfor replied.

"My apologies for not being able to do it yesterday but Rowe only returned last night."

"Will he be monitoring the calls as well?"

"Yes. I've put him in charge of the listening crew and told him he can only have two others apart from himself. The less people involved the better."

"I agree. If you need anything further, let me know."

"How long will this be in place for?"

"I would assume until the investigation is over and they return to Central." Becfor looked at his fellow Colonel. "We need to ensure they never find out about the tap."

"We're taking all precautions and Rowe is too good to get caught out. When it comes to communications he's a genius. They won't know a thing," Naylor replied confidently.

"Don't get too cocky, Colonel," the third man suddenly said. "Didn't I teach you to be always prepared for anything?"

"You did, Sergeant-Major, but this is a basic task and one of the least noticeable forms of surveillance."

"It is, but your targets are investigators from Central and you know little of their capabilities, and that should be taken into account. Accidents can still happen." Sergeant-Major Harris placed his cutlery carefully and silently on his tray and looked at the younger Colonel Naylor. "Do not become complacent."

"I won't." Colonel Naylor had to stop himself from adding 'Sir' to his reply. The Sergeant-Major had been one of his first instructors when he had enlisted and while he had lost his initial fear of the man, the respect had grown. After General Sarin, Colonel Naylor - and nearly all of the other soldiers here - considered Sergeant-Major Harris to be the next most important person in South Headquarters. He had been in South Headquarters for nearly twenty-five years and it was believed by some that General Sarin had only been allowed to accept the command here after being approved by the Sergeant-Major.

"There is a lot of gossip amongst the lower ranks about this Lieutenant-Colonel," Sergeant-Major Harris said as he looked at Colonel Becfor.

"Yes. The men who are helping at the explosion site seem to be the originators of most of it." Becfor remained calm. "Her personnel file will be here the day after tomorrow and with our observations tonight we shall have a better idea of who we are dealing with."

Colonel Naylor leant back in his chair and let his breath out. "I get the feeling this is going to be a case of all talk and no substance. From what I've heard so far, she's only interested in the explosion and nothing else."

"And that is how we want it to stay, Colonel." The Sergeant-Major's voice was soft. "It is our duty to make sure of it."

* * *

There was something different about Edward today and Falman didn't know what it was. She worked with the same single-mindedness he knew so well. Nothing she said or did was or sounded any different but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. And he wasn't the only one who had noticed it. He had seen Ralke looking at Ed a couple of times as well. The young man was completely confused by it. Falman at least was almost completely sure as to _who_ had caused the change even if he couldn't define _what_ the change was. Somehow after dinner last night, Ed and the Lieutenant-General had managed to talk to each other. And whatever had been said had caused this indefinable change.

Falman frowned as he began to wonder just how they had managed it. Edward hadn't known about the new office number when she had left to go to dinner, so that meant she had found it afterwards which in turn meant she had returned to the office after her meal which… Falman stopped and wondered why he was so curious. It wasn't like him to take such an interest in their personal lives. Neither the Lieutenant-General nor the Lieutenant-Colonel would welcome anyone interfering, even if he was an old… friend? _After all, isn't that what am I?_ _I've known Edward since _he_ was a teenager. Only the Lieutenant-General has known Ed longer than I have. I want it to work out for Ed… for them both. _

Falman let his breath out. He would make sure Edward stayed safe until they returned. There wasn't much else he could do. He knew he wasn't the most emotive of men, but that didn't mean he was completely unfeeling and unable to offer what support and aid he could. Maybe he could be a bit more forthcoming about Edward's activities when he called the daily report in. The Lieutenant-General would probably appreciate hearing it.

* * *

Edward tilted her head as she studied the debris in front of her. She pulled off her left glove and reached out to lightly touch the cold metal of a beam. Dust was everywhere and coated everything but to Ed's sharp eyes the dust was different here. There was something under the dust. The dust had piled up clearly defining the ridges and lines of whatever it was. She didn't know if it was structural damage or something else. She dragged her finger across one of the dusty lines and it disappeared to reveal clear steel. She frowned. So the lines were not a fault of the metal. Something, possibly a fluid, had hit the beam, either splattered or spilt. Either before or during the explosion. Ed sighed. She didn't even know if it was a ceiling or wall beam.

She looked at the dust on her fingertip. It would be very convenient if she could tell just from look and touch exactly what was in this dust but that wasn't possible. An array to break it down would only be partially effective. You couldn't deconstruct something completely without knowing what it was made of and that brought her back to the beginning again. She could guess fairly accurately at most of the components but not all of them. She'd have to send this to Stost and his lab and let them figure it out. Maybe she'd send Captain Grant with his knowledge of explosives along with it. She looked up and looked around.

"Grant!" She called when she saw the Captain kneeling not too far away. He had surprised her with his willingness to crawl over the debris and rubble. He had an abrupt manner with the other soldiers and was often impatient with them. But he worked hard and he didn't get as caught up in the work like she did she realised as his head lifted at her call. Ed knew that they had to shake her or shout at her to get her attention most times. She waved him over.

"Look at this. I want to get it tested."

Captain Grant studied the pattern and dust. "It came off when you rubbed it? So it can't be an old stain. Splatter probably but we'd need to find more of the surface area to determine that for certain. There's no way of knowing if it came from the explosion."

"I know that, but everything in South Headquarters is neat and tidy. They'd never leave a spill lying around and Ralke said there was an inspection due. If it's not from the explosion then it must have happened very close to the time of it." Ed looked up from the beam. "None of the reports from the survivors mention anything about a spill or an accident. It narrows it down to being either something only the dead guy knew about, or it was caused by the explosion itself."

"This could just be from some of the oil and chemicals they had stored here."

"Yes, and I would have thought that anything liquid would have been vapourised if it had been too close to the actual explosion. So this was just outside of the blast range, or shielded somehow from the direct heat. I want to know what it is."

"I'll take it to Colonel Stost. They'll be able to do that. I sent some other pieces over yesterday and they promised to have some results by today."

Ed blinked. "That seems a bit quick. I would have thought it would have taken a bit longer."

"I got the impression they would be working through the night to do it." Captain Grant shook himself with a casual movement. "They really want to know what happened."

"The General said that," Ed remarked.

"We'd be like that if it had happened at Central," Grant replied and Ed nodded. It would be a lot worse if this had happened there, she thought. She'd never get any sleep and she'd have the bastard, the asshole and the Fuhrer on her back as well. And anyone else who thought they were important enough to be involved, she added cynically. Here they'd been completely left alone. There hadn't even been any gawkers. Even a week after the incident in Central soldiers had still been wandering past the Research Department to point at the damage. Either soldiers here just weren't curious or they'd sated themselves in the two days before Ed and the others had arrived. And as soon as Ed thought that she shook her head. That wasn't possible. Not for soldiers, not for anyone. People were innately curious and she knew it. _Some more so than others…_ _like me_. So someone here had the power to keep the lookers away. She mentally shrugged. Probably Sarin as part of his wanting to get everything solved as soon as possible. Edward didn't think too deeply about it. She wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible as well and what the General did in his own Headquarters had nothing to with her.

"You think Stost's team will get this done as quick?" Ed asked.

"Probably."

"Okay. Help me get this beam clear without spoiling the sample and then I'll see if I can find more of this while you send it to him."

Grant nodded as he moved around and they began to move the rubble away. They pushed a large slab of reinforced concrete aside and Grant managed to hold back from making a comment. It was disconcerting to him to see her doing things he didn't think women could do. Ever since they had started investigating, he had seen her lift and shift debris and rubble that she just shouldn't be able to move with an ease, and almost grace, that had been completely unexpected. It was common knowledge that Edward Elric had automail and to him that that was why she was able to do such things, but to see that slender female form casually lifting beams that he had trouble with was almost too much. It didn't seem right, even with automail, for her to have such strength.

He couldn't figure her out. She left much of the investigation in his hands and she gave any paperwork to the Warrant Officer to do. She happily crawled through and over the debris and rarely asked questions. When she did, they were always precise. She never asked the same thing twice and she never forgot what he had said, no matter how uninterested she seemed at that time, applying it straightaway to either her search patterns or to the reports she never wrote but always read. She scribbled notes and comments in the margins that, once he managed to decipher them, were helpful and relevant. He had the impression that she had a fair bit of experience with collapsed buildings but not much with explosives, although she was quick to understand due to her alchemical background.

Quite frankly she baffled him and he was beginning to think that there was no way to figure her out. She did what she did and that was it. She fitted into everyone else's plans and still managed to remain independent. Without effort it appeared as if everything was being done as she wanted it to be done. He couldn't see how she managed it, and as he saw her lift her end of the beam, he realised she wasn't aware of it. Perhaps it wasn't something she did; it was that Warrant Officer of hers. He seemed to be able to predict her movements and requirements and had no hesitation in ordering the others to make sure it was all in place for her. No matter what she did or said Falman always seemed to know how to cope, and his efficient, matter-of-fact manner led everyone to follow without realising it.

"Hey Grant, you gonna move or what?" The Lieutenant-Colonel's voice had him blinking and suddenly aware he had been standing there lost in his thoughts and she was waiting for him.

"Sorry," he said as he hastened to move and lifted his end of the beam. He shifted around and they began to move it out of the debris. He felt the beam go up and down with her shrug.

"It's ok. I do that often enough myself," she said easily with a smile. _No_, he thought to himself, _I am never going to figure her out_.

* * *

Roy Mustang closed another file and sighed. Moving office had done absolutely nothing to pause the flow of files and paperwork across his desk. If anything there was more of it. He had thought he had signed all of the forms and orders necessary before moving office. He was a bit stunned, and very irritated, to be given more forms that were almost exactly the same as the ones he had signed before the move, although these were aimed at confirming that he had actually moved offices and to cover any and all variations to the original forms. It was very hard not to snap and incinerate them all. After this no-one was going to be in any doubt that he had moved and everyone in the damned country was going to know exactly where he now was, he was sure of it.

He looked at his new office and his lips curved slightly. It was a good office. It had a large window and plenty of bookcases. It was bigger than his old one and the couches looked very comfortable and appealing. But it was the other desk in this new office that made him smile. Edward's desk. Empty but for a pristine blotter and phone it was waiting for her.

The thought of being in the same office was both appealing and worrying to him. They'd shared an office before but that had been more of a large single room with everybody at a desk. And thinking back, Edward had spent as little time as possible in that office. A few weeks at the most and then he'd gone again. Edward had seen any time spent in the office as wasted and useless time. If he hadn't needed information and new leads, Roy knew Edward would never have come into the office at all. Of course if Edward hadn't attempted that original transmutation he never would have joined the military in the first place.

Not for the first time, Roy wondered what would have happened if Edward hadn't set that array alight that wet stormy night, or if he had appeared thirty minutes earlier than he had and stopped them. Would Edward have joined the military anyway, would he have studied alchemy in a different manner, or would he have remained in that small country village? If things had been different back then, would Roy now be staring at an empty desk and wanting a long haired, loud mouthed and completely desirable Edward Elric to be sitting there?

Roy tried to imagine the old Edward, the mouthy teenaged brat with those vivid eyes and hair and scrappy coat sitting at that desk and couldn't. Female Edward stared back at him with those same eyes. The glare that had challenged and defied him for four years shone clearly between the softer lines of the face he had held in his hands, above the mouth he had kissed and surrounded by the hair he had run his hands through.

_I have the self-control to cope with Edward being here. It will _not_ be a problem. Yes, I want her, but I also want her to feel comfortable around me and that's what I need to do first. Just because she likes me and seems to have less objections to my kissing her than I ever thought possible, this doesn't mean I can go further. Edward probably has no clue and if I'm too hasty I will lose everything I've gained so far. Even though she likes me, Edward won't forgive me if I try to push her this time. I can't do that now. Not for this, this is too important._

Perhaps it was just as well she was away, he thought with a groan. _I'm going to need the time to learn more self-control. _

Because there was no way he was going to have her placed in any other office but his.

* * *

Edward rubbed at her eyes and leant back in her chair with a yawn. Falman was summarising all they had managed to get done today and she nodded absently every now and again.

"You're not listening are you, Boss?'

"Not really." Ed's reply was quick. She had been expecting that query ever since she had decided to look completely disinterested and see how long it took for him to call her on it. Just over five minutes she thought with a quick glance at the clock on the wall. "Just give all that to whoever answers at Central. Until we get some results back from the lab we really don't have much to report and I'm sure they don't really want to know how much debris we've moved or sorted, but it's all we can do at the moment." She sighed. "It'd be nice to have something substantial to tell them."

"Finding nothing is just as important as finding something," Falman remarked as he looked at the pages in the file.

"I know that," Ed sighed again. "If it wasn't for that, I'd have transmuted the damn thing back into one piece and we'd be home by now. I don't know why we can't say it's an accident and do just that."

"That would be highly unprofessional and not like you at all, Edward," Falman said sternly and looked up at her. She seemed relaxed enough but there was a small crease on her forehead and the fingers of her right hand were rubbing together. He didn't think she was aware of it and they'd only been there a couple of days. It was too early for her to become impatient so there had to be something else that was bothering her. In most people he would have labelled that behaviour as 'nervous' but Edward rarely let anyone see her being nervous. Bravado and rushing headlong into whatever was ahead of her had always been her way to cover and counter any perceived weakness like nervousness. "What's wrong, Boss?"

Ed shot him a quick glance, frowning briefly. She hadn't thought she'd let her restlessness show and she'd forgotten just how observant Falman could be. "It's nothing. Just a bit… concerned about this evening." She wasn't going to say she was worried because she wasn't, and it wasn't exactly the truth, but it sounded plausible.

She wasn't about to admit that if she wasn't thinking of the explosion and concentrating on the debris her mind went straight to Roy. Which annoyed her. It was one thing to like him, it was another to be _always_ thinking of him. It hadn't been like this before she had left. Yes, she'd thought about him rather often, but not as much as she was now. Was it just because he wasn't around, or was there some other reason? She didn't know and that added to her irritation. It didn't help that there was no way of finding out either. She wasn't about to ask Falman and there was no-one else here. She thought of Ralke and Van as friends but Ed hadn't known them long enough to feel comfortable talking about these sorts of things. Ed didn't talk about personal matters easily, and even if she'd known them for as long as she'd known Falman she probably still wouldn't have considered talking to them.

If Al had been here he might have been able to get her to talk but he wasn't and she didn't know when she'd be seeing him next. He'd be home in Resembool soon, she could ring him, but knew she'd never be able to initiate such a conversation. It always worked best when Al goaded her to speaking without thinking and better still when they were facing each other. Her other choices were in Central. Gracia or Roy. Of the two she'd prefer Gracia. Gracia had a way for phrasing things that made Ed's thinking clear and Gracia had a comforting air with a clinical distance and Ed liked that. There was no pressure with Gracia. There was with Roy, and it was all self-inflicted she suddenly realised.

She groaned oblivious to the amused expression that crossed Falman's face. He knew where her thoughts had gone. Ed had never been as inscrutable as Mustang even though he had tried and _she_ was doing an even worse impression. To those who had known her longest Ed was always going to be an open book.

"When are you expected to dinner, Boss?" Falman asked calmly and waited for his words to reach her.

"Seventeen hundred." Ed looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes to wait. "Becfor's coming to escort me so I guess it's not held in the mess."

"If it's dinner with the officers and the General then no. There's usually a separate dining room kept for special entertaining and most bases will have an officer's dinner on a regular basis."

"I don't recall … the bastard doing that when we were at Eastern," Ed said managing to avoid a frown as she realised she'd nearly used his name.

"What the Lieutenant-General did back then didn't interest you much, Ed," Falman replied with a straight face. Ed almost glared at the grey-haired man before she made a grumbling noise at the back of her throat.

"It didn't interest me at all," she agreed. "So he had to go to them too, huh?"

"Yes. It's a necessary part of the job."

Ed sighed. "I am not going to like this at all."

"You'll get used to them, Sir," Falman told her almost cheerfully and she had a sudden urge to hit him.

"I think I really will ask for Fuery next time," she retorted and he actually laughed at her.

"Fuery gets travel sick." At the calm phrase Edward stood up and brought her hands together. Falman's bland face became wary and he stepped back. There were no sparks coming from her gloved hands but he knew that a mere thought would bring the alchemy to life.

"I've never considered using alchemy against you before, Falman, but you know, right now I have this little _urge_ to do something I've never done before. It's kind of exciting." Ed grinned slightly as Falman's eyes widened. They both knew that Ed wouldn't do anything that would cause actual physical pain but there was a great potential for humiliation and embarrassment.

"Edward, Boss. Such urges aren't healthy and can have dire consequences," Falman said with an audible quiver. Ed's grin widened and became a smirk.

"Scared, Vato?" Ed almost purred and Falman was torn between fleeing and sighing. Edward's behaviour was still predictable despite the changes. He managed to hide his smile although he was tempted to let her see it. After all he would only suffer some embarrassment. The others would hear about it, of that there was no doubt, but they weren't here to witness the actual event. He could live with that if he had to. Compared to other incidents that had happened in the office over the years this would be fairly minor. The first sign of a blue spark coming from Ed's hands had him leaning towards flight and he was thankful for the sound of knocking at the door.

"Are you ready, Lieutenant-Colonel?" Colonel Becfor could be heard asking as the door opened and Ed swallowed a curse. Blue glowed and sparked around her hands as she separated her palms and let the reaction go. She winced at the small sting of backlash and met the amused look on Falman's face with a glare that disappeared as Colonel Becfor stepped into the room.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She moved around the desk, brushing her gloves clear and tapped Falman's shoulder lightly letting a tiny reaction spark. Falman jumped as his uniform seemed to jab at him. "Don't be late with the report, Falman," Ed said as she passed.

"No, Sir," Falman replied. "Enjoy your evening Ma'am," he added and he had to hold in his laughter until after the door had closed behind them. The look on Edward's face, made all the better because she couldn't make a scene in front of the Colonel, had been priceless and worth every moment of future reprisals. He was still smiling as he sat at the desk and began preparing the notes for the evening report.

* * *

Edward walked beside Colonel Becfor as they went through the complex. She could feel herself getting nervous the closer they got. Edward didn't like feeling nervous and it made her irritable. She'd been through much worse so why would some stupid military meal get to her like this? It was stupid. _She_ was stupid. She had to start getting used to this. She'd managed to get through that civic dinner, this should be much easier. It was just dinner with other soldiers. Just like every evening in the mess, except these were all going to be higher ranked than she was. _And since when did I care about rank?_ There'd be no speeches. The only person who'd be doing any public speaking would have to be the General and she couldn't think of any reason why he'd want her to speak. No, all she had to do was sit, talk politely, eat neatly and listen. It shouldn't be too hard. She knew how to behave when she had to. It wasn't much fun but she could do it. Ed put a polite smile on her face as they walked along. _I hate this and my face is going to ache again, just like last time. _

She told herself she was an idiot to start comparing the two occasions when this one hadn't even started yet. Maybe it's because Roy's not here, she thought and straightaway her smile vanished and she frowned. _I am _not_ nervous because he's not here. _Even though she'd asked for his company at these sorts of events, it didn't mean she had to have him there _all_ the time. _I don't need him here for this one. Just because I like him doesn't mean I have to have him at my side every time. That'd just be pathetic. Just because I asked him doesn't mean I'm not capable of doing this anyway. Besides if I prove I can do this, it'll shut that damned asshole Kinase up as well. _

"If you will excuse my bluntness Lieutenant-Colonel, I would suggest that for the next dinner you wear the correct uniform." Colonel Becfor's voice broke through her thoughts and she looked at him, an eyebrow lifting.

"I am in uniform," Ed replied with a wave of hand down the front of her alchemically cleaned uniform.

"As a female officer, Lieutenant-Colonel, you should be aware that you are expected to be in the female uniform for occasions such as this."

Ed stopped and Becfor had to stop and turn back to face her. Golden eyes stared fixedly at him. He resisted the urge to step backwards.

"You mean I should be wearing a skirt," Ed stated, her level voice at odds with the increasing gleam in her eyes.

"Yes." Becfor straightened up. He didn't know why he felt intimidated by those eyes but he was a Colonel and ranked higher than her. Despite the uncertainty and questions about her background, it was his duty to instruct her and to make sure nothing she did caused his General any embarrassment or upset.

"Unless it's in my orders, I don't wear a skirt." Ed nearly bit her tongue in two trying to remain calm. It was going to take a direct order from the Fuhrer to get her to wear that skirt again. Having to wear it for the Parade had been enough and she didn't intend to ever wear it again. She wondered if she could get that as a condition of her new position.

Becfor frowned. She wasn't sounding appreciative of his advice at all. In fact those strange eyes were becoming even darker and there was a thread of steel appearing in her voice.

"It is a requirement for formal occasions. It is not a matter left up to individual assignments, Lieutenant-Colonel."

"I came here to investigate an explosion, which was _not_ a formal occasion last time I checked." Edward took a steadying breath. "Let's get this straight, Colonel. I will _not_ be wearing a skirt tonight or at any other time while I'm here." The Colonel blinked. There was no sense of a threat, it was a simple, forceful statement of fact. She didn't seem to care that he was a full Colonel nor that she was defying regulations.

"You can be reprimanded for not following orders and regulations, Lieutenant-Colonel." Becfor almost questioned her.

"I am aware of that," Ed replied. "But I have a job to do and it does not include wearing a skirt or dinners with officers." Ed took a breath and managed to bite down on the 'I don't care and you can't make me' rant she could feel building up at the back of her mind. She didn't need to start the evening off with an argument. "The matter is closed, Colonel. Let's get to dinner before we're late. The General did say seventeen hundred, didn't he? It's about that now. We were heading this way, weren't we?" Edward pointed along the corridor and Becfor nodded before he realised it. The Lieutenant-Colonel started walking again and Becfor had to give himself a mental shake before he began moving after her.

Colonel Becfor wondered if she would say the same if the General called her on the uniform matter. He had the feeling she would and he wondered where she got such an attitude from. She had been completely self-confident in her manner. The few times he had seen her, not once had she shown any awe or even basic awareness of rank. But he couldn't say she was disrespectful. When she had been insulting the First Councillor during her conversation with the South City Councillor she had not been spiteful, and he had the impression that even if Kinase had been there she would have said exactly the same things.

Was there something in her background that made her unlike anyone he had ever met before? The information they had been given at the beginning had been very basic. Her name, rank, a few sentences to say _he_ had served for nearly four years before Liore and then an even shorter sentence to say _she_ had returned and re-qualified as a State Alchemist. The change of gender had been almost completely ignored. Hearing that she had trained with Izumi Curtis had been a shock and he wondered just what else was to be learnt about her. Her personnel file was going to make interesting reading when it arrived.

Colonel Becfor saw her braid swing slightly and wondered why he suddenly felt unsettled.

* * *

Edward entered the dining room and looked around. Soldiers milled in small groups. There couldn't be too many here she thought. Twenty perhaps, a couple of dozen at the most and all ranked higher than she was. She wondered why Ralke and Van had not been included. Surely as Majors they should have been invited as well. She'd mentioned it earlier but they had both just shrugged and said they'd never been invited. She wondered if there was a cut off rank and thought she might ask R… the bastard when she phoned him afterwards. _Dammit, why is he always Roy now,_ she thought with a fleeting frown. _I couldn't say his name at all before and now it's all I damned well say._ She mentally shook herself away from Roy-land and focused on the room.

Long tables just like the mess except these were covered with long white cloths and cutlery set out at regular intervals. The chairs looked as if they had padded seats and there were even glasses set out along the tables. Ed wished it looked more like the normal and comforting Mess halls she was used to. There were no jumbled voices and rattling trays. It was like being at a restaurant and it was just reinforcing her desire to be anywhere but here.

Despite her earlier thoughts, it would've been a relief to have one familiar, friendly face to look at. Becfor might be familiar but she doubted he was friendly. Stost would be here somewhere. Again he was familiar but not friendly. She swallowed and straightened her back. She really was on her own this time. It was a sobering thought to suddenly realise that this was the first time that had ever happened. For all her declarations of independence and stubborn refusals of aid, she had always had someone with her. Al had been there for the first sixteen years of his life and then there had been Alfons and the others on the other side of that Gate. Upon her return she'd been reunited straightaway with Al again and after he had left, she had had Roy, the office and her own staff. Falman, Ralke and Van were in the same complex but they weren't _here_. They weren't at her side or her back. No-one was going to stand up for her if anything went wrong, not that she'd want that. But she would miss having the support should she make a complete idiot out of herself. There was no-one to stop that from happening.

"We should greet the General first, Lieutenant-Colonel then you can find your seat." Becfor spoke softly as he led her further into the room. "There will be a name card to mark your place."

"Thank you, Sir," Ed replied at a complete loss until she noticed the small cards on the tables. She wondered how they had worked out the seating. Alphabetically or by rank? Either would fit into her growing impressions of South Headquarters. It didn't really matter she told herself as they moved across the room. _Just because I don't know this stuff doesn't mean I'm not capable of doing this._ _I wonder if Roy knows. Falman would, I could ask him. Shit, no, I don't need to know. It's not important and I don't need anything else to worry about._

The General was standing near a small table with several people around him. Edward looked at them curiously. Finally she saw someone lower ranked than she was. Edward nearly shrugged. Rank meant little to her and that Sergeant-Major seemed to fit right in there. It wasn't unusual for aides to have a varying array of ranks, Ed knew that. Ability had little to do with stripes and stars; she'd seen that ever since he'd joined Mustang's office. But it was strange that this Sergeant-Major was considered so necessary that he was present at this dinner when others, like Ralke and Van, had been excluded. _Maybe I should ask …no, not interested, remember Ed, not interested._

Ed saluted as the General turned in their direction.

"Good evening Lieutenant-Colonel. Glad you could join us." The General looked over them both and Edward half-expected there to be some comment about her uniform, but there wasn't and it took her a moment to switch her thoughts away from the rant she had been mentally preparing.

"Thank you General," Ed paused not sure if she needed to say anything more. Was she supposed to thank him for this? She hoped not because she didn't feel thankful at all and she wasn't sure if she could lie that effectively.

"I believe dinner will be served shortly. I will talk with you afterwards." The General looked over her shoulder for a brief moment and she felt someone moving up behind her.

Edward blinked, saluting again. "Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Colonel Becfor," the General said after a slight nod at her and with a look at the man beside her. The Colonel saluted.

"Thank you Sir."

The Colonel stepped back and Ed followed suit and they both moved a few steps to the side before turning around and walking further away. Ed looked back and saw another Colonel greeting the General. It reminded her of the line of guests at the end of the civic function except this was at the beginning. Was it something the military did and the civic events only had it at the end? _Why am I thinking like this? I can handle this. It is not difficult. And why does the General want to talk to me later? Why not tomorrow in his office? It's not like I'm going anywhere. _

Ed stared at the tables and blinked a few times before her mind cleared and she decided to seek out the card with her name on it. Best to get settled as soon as she could, she thought. She looked around the room and caught a glancing look from the Sergeant-Major. She kept her face empty as she moved her gaze past him and wondered at the sudden conviction she felt that he'd been looking at her with more than just passing curiousity.

_Someone is always going to be looking. I know that, people have always looked and I've always ignored them. If I ignore them they stop quicker and I can pretend they aren't looking at me like they used to. I'm a stranger here, people will stare but his eyes felt different. Is he the General's eyes for the night? He might be looking at everyone, like Falman does when he thinks I'm not looking. Hawkeye does that too. Or does he know something? Was he here back when Teacher came after Wrath? Dammit, I'm probably reading too much into this. Face it Ed, being on your own is unsettling and you don't like it. _

"I'll go find my place," Ed said almost abruptly in a low voice to Colonel Becfor and moved away before the startled man could respond. She looked at the table and walked slowly reading each card as she tried to get herself balanced again.

_Find my place. Just where is my fucking place?_

* * *

Havoc leant against the wall, feeling the sun-warmed bricks at his back. He looked up at the sky. The sun was setting and Riza would be along shortly and they could look forward to a nice quiet evening at home and a day off tomorrow. Life didn't get much better than this for Jean Havoc and he smiled. He almost wished for a cigarette but he had given them up when Riza had moved in. It had been one of her conditions and although it had been hard at times, he didn't really regret it, and she was kind enough to look the other way if he had one when they were out and someone offered him one. But only one; any more than that and Riza would object as only Riza could. Jean knew very well that she didn't always need to shoot at people to get her point across. _Come to think of it, I've been knocking the offers back the last few times too. Guess I really have stopped. _

"Major?"

Havoc turned his head and met the slightly nervous gaze of Sergeant Terlat.

"Hey Sergeant, what's up?" Havoc spoke easily. "How's that replacement Colonel behaving?"

"He's starting to get the hang of it, Sir," Terlat replied and then held up his hand. Havoc stared and his mouth dropped open slightly. "They came for the Lieutenant-Colonel and I didn't know what else to do but bring them to you Sir."

Four pink flowers were resting across Terlat's palm.

"Were they delivered to the office?" Havoc asked.

"Yes Sir." Terlat paused. "I checked with the gate. They were delivered by a young kid they'd never seen before. He said they were for the Lieutenant-Colonel and left as soon as he'd said that. The guards seem to think it's some kind of joke and I didn't think it wise to make them believe otherwise."

"Good move, Sergeant. You kept it from the Colonel?"

"Yes Sir. Major Hawkeye was most adamant that we not let anyone know about this last time it happened."

"Yes, the Major would." Havoc nodded with a frown. "Let's take these up to the office. Whoever is doing this obviously doesn't know that Ed isn't here."

"The guards said the kid left too quickly for them to tell him that she wasn't here."

"That might be very handy to know." Havoc let his breath out. "I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but when it comes to the Boss you can never be sure. Damned brat got into more trouble than any of us thought possible when he was a kid. I can't see it changing that much just because she grew up."

"What's going on?"

They both turned at the new voice and Terlat was unable to ask for further enlightenment of the Major's words when he recognised the other Major arriving. Havoc smiled and caught the answering gleam in her eye even as her expression didn't change.

"Flowers for the Boss. I think we might need to go back to the office." Havoc waved at Terlat's hand.

"Agreed," Hawkeye said without hesitation as she eyed the flowers. "Come on Sergeant."

* * *

"You're stationed in Central, Lieutenant-Colonel?" The brown-haired Colonel on Ed's left asked.

"Yes Sir." Ed spoke calmly. Once she had found her seat and they'd all begun to sit down she had felt better. Even between two Colonels and with another opposite she felt more at ease. The soup had arrived within a few minutes of everyone being seated and now there was the soft chink of spoons in bowls and muted conversations filling the room. She still couldn't help comparing it to the civic dinner and admitted that the lack of speeches was a welcome difference.

"With Investigations?"

"No Sir. I'm in Research at the moment." She dipped her spoon into her soup. It had vegetables and some respectably-sized chunks of meat in it. She scooped up a generous amount and found it very tasty. Ed didn't usually eat soup; she preferred more solid food and in larger portions. Stew was probably the only food Ed ate that came close to soup. A bit thicker she thought and this could almost be a stew.

"Why was someone from Research sent?" The Colonel on Ed's right queried and Ed shrugged.

"Don't know Sir. It was organised in a hurry," Ed replied wondering just how much she could and should say.

"I heard that Central Research has an explosion of its own to deal with." The Colonel on Ed's left turned his head to look at her.

"Yes, but they thought it was more important for me to come here." Ed had a quick look at his name card. Colonel Mantel. Brown hair and probably somewhere in his forties. He had a quiet voice and a manner to match and there was some intelligence there. Ed could see it in his eyes and wondered if his questions would become more specific. He wasn't exactly fishing for information that she could tell, and she was used to being questioned by curious people. But where was the line in a situation like this? Just how much could she say? What impression should she give them? Ed cursed silently. She just didn't know. With her own history she knew exactly what could be said and what couldn't, but this was different. It wasn't exchanging gossip and there were no deep dark secrets to hide, so she could tell the truth without a qualm. But just how much truth did she need to share?

"The General would have insisted on someone coming down straightaway," the Colonel on Ed's right said and Colonel Mantel frowned.

"That is obvious Rourke, but why would they send a Lieutenant-Colonel from Research and not someone more qualified from Investigations?"

Ed's eyebrow rose and she revised her original impression of Mantel. He wasn't so quiet after all and she wondered if she had misread his intelligence as well. She had to give him points for being so up-front with his question and for not automatically apologising in case he had offended her.

"I don't think Central would send anyone who wasn't qualified." The other Colonel, Rourke, a quick check of the place card confirmed it was his last name, looked past Ed to Colonel Mantel. "And they sent two from Investigations as well as the Lieutenant-Colonel here. That's more than I was expecting."

"Probably to make up for the deficiencies in rank," Mantel said in a low almost insulting tone and Ed's hand tightened around her spoon handle. The guy was turning into an asshole. An asshole of the lowest kind Ed would bet and she started wondering just how far she could let her temper out and not get into too much trouble.

"I'd rather they send people who know what they're doing than someone with a few more stripes on their shoulders." Colonel Rourke looked at Ed. "How long have you been in Research, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"About two weeks, nearly three," Ed replied as calmly as she could without sounding facetious.

"That's not very long," Mantel said with a smirk at Rourke.

"I am very familiar with research so I was put there to fix it after the explosion you mentioned earlier," Ed said keeping a casual manner.

"You were put there?" Colonel Mantel's smirk widened slightly. "Where were you before that? Running errands for the Records Department?"

"Sorry to disappoint, Colonel," Ed said as her eyes flickered as she resisted the urge to sigh at the almost juvenile jibe. "But I usually work in Lieutenant-General Mustang's office."

Colonel Mantel frowned. "Lieutenant-General Mustang? What does he do?"

Ed blinked. He didn't know who Mustang was? Was he for real? Ed struggled not to let her disbelief show. "He runs State Alchemy and he's overseeing Investigations at the moment."

"State Alchemy?" Colonel Mantel sounded disapproving at the same time as Colonel Rourke spoke over him.

"Is that Mustang the same one who …was the Flame Alchemist of Ishbal?"

"Yes Sir," Ed replied as she wondered at the pause.

"Oh, _that_ Mustang. I thought he retired a few years ago." Mantel shrugged and Ed wondered just how much of the guy's behaviour was for her benefit. Was he deliberately trying to make her angry? Why would he even be doing that?

"No, Colonel. He's not the type to retire." _Not anymore, anyway. Someone stopped him four years ago and Al…shit, if it hadn't been for Al going to Central back then he might have up and left after all. Didn't the Fuhrer say that Al had had some influence on him, and Al did say that Roy'd given up his position because of him. Just what happened while I was gone? It was more than just isolation and depression, wasn't it? I've never really wondered too much about it because I thought he was like me during those years except I had someone drag me out of the holes and he didn't. What else happened to him, I wonder?_

"Are you an alchemist too, Lieutenant-Colonel?" Mantel asked.

"Yes Colonel, I am," Ed said calmly. _Oh great, here it comes._

"You really don't keep up with the gossip, Mantel," Rourke said lightly. "The Lieutenant-Colonel here is also the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Gossip is a waste of time." The disapproval she had thought she had heard earlier was more obvious now. She nearly frowned. Something was really off with his behaviour. If he was really as much of a low asshole as she was thinking he was then gossip should have been one of his main interests. He'd need it for ammunition for his insults. So, did a dislike of alchemists and gossip come from some other source?

"It keeps the soldiers happy," Colonel Rourke remarked, an almost teasing note in his voice.

Ed sighed. Fucking great, was the other Colonel trying to start something? At least he wasn't teasing her, but to tease Mantel was just asking for trouble. Just what had she done to deserve this? Would it be wiser to start ignoring them unless they actually spoke to her? She couldn't move to another seat so she was stuck there. A quick look around showed no-one appearing to take interest in the two Colonels. The Colonel opposite her was more intent on the soup, his spoon moving in a continual smooth motion from bowl to mouth and back again. Ed figured she should probably do the same.

"Soldiers aren't here to be happy. They're here to follow orders. And why should it matter that she's an alchemist? I've never found them very useful. Special privileges for not much in return, they're just a waste of resources when there's no actual conflict."

Ed had to focus hard to swallow her mouthful without spitting it right into his face. It took more self-control than she knew she had to put her spoon down silently and turn to him.

"Conflicts and rebellions are a waste of _all _soldiers." She couldn't help the contempt she felt for him from colouring her voice and he turned to face her as she continued. "I don't know if you have actually been in a war, Colonel, but I'd hate to be under your command if that's your attitude."

"As you are only a Lieutenant-Colonel, you would have no choice and being an alchemist you lack the understanding of what it means to be a soldier."

Ed's eyebrows rose. "I've been in the Military long enough to know _exactly_ what it means to be a soldier. You want some dumb, blind idiots to walk into a firing line because you say so, well, Colonel, dying is the last thing a soldier should be doing. And as a Colonel you're the one that should be keeping them alive." Ed managed to keep her voice down but her eyes were glaring at him. He looked a bit taken aback by her response and his reply was cold.

"It is not your place to determine how soldiers are used, Lieutenant-Colonel and I suggest you remember that. Being chosen to look after an investigation is nothing for you to feel superior about. You are unlikely to further your career if you think your self-import has risen enough to dictate to your superiors."

* * *

"What are they?" Breda asked as he looked at the four pink flowers now lying on Havoc's desk.

"I don't know," Havoc replied. "Flowers are flowers. I don't know why they all have to have different names anyway."

"You have no class, Havoc. It's a miracle Hawkeye puts up with you," Breda insulted casually as he leant closer to the flowers. "They don't have much of a smell."

Sergeant Berent looked from one to the other and felt the all too familiar sense of being completely out of his depth. Ever since Majors Havoc and Hawkeye had re-appeared with a Sergeant he didn't know and those flowers his meagre stock of understanding this office had been wiped out again.

"_Where's the Chief?"_ had been the first question Major Havoc had asked upon entering the office. At the news that the Lieutenant-General had left the flowers had appeared along with several relieved looks. Breda and Fuery had looked surprised at the flowers but not completely baffled by them. Not like Berent was.

"Schieska would probably know," Hawkeye said thoughtfully. "Or she'll know where we could find out more about them."

"Florists as well. They had to come from somewhere," Havoc added after an equally casual grimace at Breda.

"There is no real threat to the Lieutenant-Colonel is there?" the unknown Sergeant asked. Berent thought he was seeking reassurance from the others and wondered to which Lieutenant-Colonel he was referring. It took a moment before he recalled the only Lieutenant-Colonel it could be and he nearly groaned at his own slowness.

"No, Terlat. We don't think there's any real trouble here," Hawkeye answered with her usual unruffled calm manner. "It's just something that's not part of the usual routines and when it comes to Edward, we'll always be a little suspicious when things like this happen."

"She won't be happy when she finds out I haven't told her about this," Terlat said without thinking and Havoc grinned.

"Don't worry Terlat. You won't be alone. The Boss will be unhappy with all of us."

"Edward knows we have her best interests at heart, even when she doesn't like it." There was a hint of a shrug in Hawkeye's words. "This will probably turn out to be a stupid hoax or someone's idea of a joke. She hasn't asked further about the first bunch and she knows nothing about the second. It's obviously not important and we're just making sure of that."

A quick look that eluded Terlat and Berent passed between them. The thought that the sender of the flowers might interfere with Edward and Roy's new relationship would stay unspoken. They weren't about to let anything get in the way of whatever was developing between them.

"It will be alright Sergeant," Fuery reassured with a small smile. "Edward won't even know about it."

"What won't Edward know about?"

They turned and found Lieutenant-General Roy Mustang standing there surveying them with one eyebrow raised and a querying expression on his face.

* * *

Ed bit down hard on her tongue and took a deep breath. One thing she was not, and never would be, was a career soldier. She had come across many of them in her time and she had never felt strongly either way about most of them. Most of them were content to stay within the rules and work solidly towards their goal. There had been a few who hadn't and those she had despised, even going out of her way to ensure their failure. But it wasn't that that was causing her to be so angry now. The accusation that rank mattered, that she thought she was better than she was, was just too much. Edward Elric had never considered himself, or herself, better than anyone. She knew, he knew, just how far into sin she had fallen. No matter how much forgiveness you received you never forgot, and Ed knew she was never going to forget. Without knowing anything about her, this Colonel who seemed to have more than his fair share of self-import, was judging her, and judging her by standards that were completely different to hers.

She had been judged before, she'd been insulted before and she'd been ridiculed before and she'd never been as furious as she was now. Heated words and thoughts spiralled around a cold hard centre that wondered why she was still sitting so calmly there. It would be so easy to let fly with curses and alchemy. It would be so easy that her fingers were itching to feel the crackle and her throat was scratchy with the unspoken words.

"_My_ superiors are more than capable of making those decisions themselves and I trust them more than I'd ever trust you." The heated glare of her eyes was belied by the cold tone of her voice. She leant back as the server came past to take her empty soup bowl. "And any soldier that generates attention just to get noticed by their superiors isn't much of a soldier. Or even much of a person."

Ed thought Colonel Mantel was going to explode his face changed colours so rapidly. Waves of red and white washed across his skin. She was fairly certain Colonel Rourke had stopped breathing and even the Colonel across from her was staring. She heard clearly the chink of bowls being removed and the soft padding footsteps of the servers. She could hear the muted conversations going on further down the table but she sat in the middle of a small pool of silence.

_Maybe I went a bit too far,_ she thought. _But he asked for it and I can't hit him or use alchemy. Besides he started it._ It was a childish thought but it made her feel slightly better. After all she _was_ still young – too young according to the asshole Kinase, but maybe she could use that. It didn't have to be a liability, nor an excuse. It could be a whole different way of looking at things. What had the bastard said that night at dinner? _"Don't let them get caught up with your gender, don't __you__ get caught up in it. If you only see the gender, that's all they'll see too. Just be Edward and they won't know what hit them." _He had been talking about her gender but she now realised it could be applied to her age and her lack of experience as well.

_Just be me. I thought I had been doing that and I have, but only when it suited me, when I knew what was expected of me. I'm not going to be staying in those comfortable places anymore, I mean this is not where I want to be and probably not where I should be according to this prick beside me, but my choices led me here and I've got no-one else to blame for it. Both Roy and the Fuhrer know what I'm like, I _can_ be me no matter where I am, and if no-one else likes it, well _fuck them_!_

"Are you accusing me…?" the Colonel began, obviously struggling to keep his voice under control and Edward cut him off.

"I'm not accusing you of anything. I gave you my opinion and I can see you obviously don't like it." Edward leant closer and her voice dropped a fraction. "Let's get this right out in the open here, Colonel. You started it with your smartass remarks and pitiful attempts at insults. We can finish it here and now, or we can take it outside afterwards and finish it then. Your choice." Ed smiled slightly and resisted the impulse to smirk as she sat back in her chair again. She turned to Colonel Rourke who had obviously been listening and asked in a pleasant voice.

"When does dinner get served?"

* * *

Roy looked at the flowers on the desk and then up at his subordinates. Havoc and Breda still looked slightly guilty, Fuery looked uncomfortable and Terlat and Berent were confused. Hawkeye was probably the only one not feeling disconcerted by his unexpected return to the office.

"They're anemones," he said evenly.

"How'd you know that?" Breda asked.

"My mother used to have a flower garden," Roy replied with a straight face and then smirked at Breda's startled face. Then his smirk became more of a grin as Breda kept staring at him. "Think Breda, I've been to enough florists to be able to recognise most flowers."

Hawkeye looked at the stunned expressions on her colleagues' faces and nearly smiled. It wasn't often that Roy teased the office like this. She knew very well that it had been her mother and not his who had had the flower garden. Not that Roy had been interested in it back then, spending most of his time with her father learning his alchemy.

"We still need to know where they come from," Hawkeye said keeping an eye on Roy. He had been remarkably calm when he had been told that the flowers had been delivered for Ed. With Terlat and Berent here, his responses were always going to be reserved. Even in front of her and his regular staff he would stay calm. Only alone would he let himself behave otherwise.

"Get Schieska to get whatever information there is on the flowers and then go around the florists and the markets too." Roy studied the flowers. He didn't want to appear to be overreacting again. "We won't say anything to Ed about it until she returns. It's probably nothing but when Ed's involved, you can never tell."

Terlat and Berent exchanged a look. Berent began to wonder just what the Lieutenant-Colonel had done to warrant this kind of universal reaction from everyone. Terlat was even more convinced that his Lieutenant-Colonel was one of a kind and that he had been more than fortunate to have been put into her command. Ever since he had met her his peaceful military life had been overturned, and as he looked back at the others he realised that it was going to be like this for a very long time because he intended to stay at her side for as long as he could.

* * *

Edward happily ate roast beef, enjoying the continuing silence on her left side. Colonel Mantel hadn't said anything since she had last spoken to him. Whether he intended to say something afterwards she didn't know and she didn't really care. She would face that if and when it happened. She felt much better for having spoken and while she still didn't really want to be here, she felt less irritated about it. Although it wouldn't stop her from complaining later. It would be what everyone expected and she liked being able to vent and rant. It got rid of any lingering resentment that she might be harbouring.

Colonel Rourke was eating his meal and wondered how the blonde beside him could look so relaxed. He was aware of the gossip around her and he had seen her sparring. He knew Colonel Stost and had heard more from him. It was one thing to hear the information, it was definitely another to see it in action. Most soldiers he knew would have stormed out or shouted back but she had taken a different tack and left Mantel with little room for reply. From all accounts she was barely twenty years old. Where had the self-control and self-confidence come from that she was able to basically insult a Colonel and still walk away the winner? Not that Rourke was going to take her to task for her insubordinate behaviour. There weren't that many people who were fond of Colonel Mantel and Rourke wasn't one of them. There'd be a few fellow Colonels who would certainly be smiling later when he told them about it.

"So you work under Mustang's command, Lieutenant-Colonel?" he queried lightly as he felt the need to break the silence that had fallen since her last words to Mantel.

"Yes Sir," Ed said after a brief pause to swallow her mouthful.

"Where have you served?"

"East City, Sir. Was based there for most of the time." Ed kept her answers short, timing them between mouthfuls for a reason for the abruptness.

"I believe Colonel Armstrong does some very good work there," Rourke said lightly and Ed had to grin.

"I don't know, but with all that tradition behind him he can't go wrong."

"I thought you said you served at East Command, Lieutenant-Colonel?" Rourke's voice was almost too casual and Ed turned to look at him, her eyes suddenly focusing sharply.

"I did, Colonel. For nearly four years under Mustang when he was a Colonel." He held her gaze for a long moment until a small smile creased his mouth. "You already knew that." She was accusing him and his smile widened.

"I'd heard the gossip. For once it was correct." Rourke didn't apologise and he didn't think she was expecting one judging from the grin he got.

"There are some strange stories around, Colonel," she said, her grin becoming more of a smirk. "Most are completely different to what I remember."

"That's the way it usually is, Lieutenant-Colonel." He grinned back. "So were you apprenticed to Izumi Curtis, and did you really destroy half of Dublith?"

* * *

Roy Mustang closed his apartment door behind him and leant against it with a soft breath out. It took him several moments before he felt ready to straighten up and walk further into his rooms. The coat he had forgotten and gone back to collect was shrugged off and tossed over the back of a chair. His jacket ended up on another chair. He looked towards his bedroom and bathroom as he undid his shirt but decided a shower could wait. Edward might ring. He looked at the mantle clock. Officer's dinners usually lasted a couple of hours. He should probably have something to eat as well. It would give him something to do while he waited and it would distract him from those flowers.

Annoying things. He had almost forgotten that first bunch and now it was all back again. It was typical of Edward. Getting mixed up in something without even knowing about it. Not that anyone else had a better idea of what was going on. The flowers seemed so pointless and harmless. It was hard to see anything dangerous and threatening in four pink flowers. It was that very innocence that worried at the office and at Roy. Flowers didn't just get sent to anyone. There had to be a reason for them. They weren't even proper bouquets. They looked as if they had been picked randomly from someone's garden by a child.

They made Roy feel jealous. Not that he would admit that to anyone. It had to be completely pitiful to be jealous over those straggly flowers, and anyway he had much better taste when it came to giving flowers to women. Except Edward hadn't seemed particularly impressed with the flowers he had given her. He shook his head as a wry expression crossed his face. Of course she hadn't. He doubted she knew much about them at all. He took a deep breath. Nothing was going to happen and he was just worrying over nothing. He had to make himself something to eat and then he could sit back and wait for Ed to ring. He always felt better when he spoke with her.

* * *

Ed stood quietly and swallowed the rising burp before it could get free. It had been a good meal. There had even been a fruit pie of some description for dessert and she was pleasantly full. She was also glad that she would be able to get out of here very soon. She just had to wait for the General and then she could head back to the office and ring Roy.

She looked around the room. The officers were again standing in small groups talking quietly. She saw Colonel Mantel and noticed he was talking to the Sergeant-Major she had seen earlier. She felt sorry for the Sergeant-Major but not enough to wander over that way and rescue him. He'd probably known Mantel for a long time and knew exactly how to deal with him. Her gaze caught that of Colonel Rourke and he gave her a lopsided grin which she returned. He had been completely different to Mantel and thanks to him the evening had gone quicker than she had thought it would.

"Lieutenant-Colonel, I trust you enjoyed yourself?" General Sarin's voice made her turn with a polite smile.

"Yes General. It was an interesting night."

"I'm glad to hear it." He studied her for a moment. "I nearly announced your appointment as Military Liaison but felt it would be unnecessary."

"Thank you Sir." Ed bowed her head slightly and hoped her relief didn't show. "It has no bearing on my duties while I'm here so it isn't something that needs to be known." She resisted the urge to shrug. She didn't think anyone would really care if they did know. Her appointment was in Central and she doubted it would have any effect on anyone down here.

"When do you think there will be some results from your investigation, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"I don't know, Sir."

"I had hoped to see some results by now, Lieutenant-Colonel."

"We have to make sure we account for everything that is there, so we can see what's either missing, or what's there when it shouldn't be. We can't rush it or we could miss something important." Ed tried to keep her face and voice expressionless and thought she had been successful when he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well, I expect to hear of more than just moving debris next time," General Sarin said almost blandly and Ed's eyes flickered as her temper surged.

"You'll be one of the first informed when the results come through, General." Ed hoped the sarcastic edge she could hear was just in her mind and not actually attached to her words. For a moment she thought he had heard it too as his eyes narrowed but he only blinked slowly and she wondered if he had intended to say something just then but changed his mind.

"Then keep working hard, Lieutenant-Colonel." There was an obvious dismissal in his tone and she took a step back before remembering to salute. Before her arm had dropped he had moved away and Colonel Becfor suddenly appeared at his side. She watched them for a moment. Did that mean she could leave now? She looked around the room. No-one was paying her any attention so she walked slowly towards the door.

No-one stopped her and she paused for the smallest moment for a last check. Still no-one seemed to care what she was doing. With a mental smirk she opened the door as quietly as possible and left, smiling with relief as soon as she heard it close behind her. Her strides lengthened as she walked further from the room. She had a phone call to make.

* * *

It was a small room and when a Colonel entered, it became smaller still. Communications equipment lined the walls and their quiet hum filled the room. Three chairs were in front of the equipment and two were already occupied. A Lieutenant-Colonel sat on one, writing on a pad as his other hand flicked various switches on the panels in front of him. Earphones sat crookedly over his head and he didn't look up at the newcomer.

"You're late." The other occupant spoke without turning around.

"Sorry Naylor, I was talking with the Sergeant-Major after dinner."

Colonel Naylor pushed the pad he had been writing on to the side and swivelled around to look at his fellow Colonel. "Oh yes, the dinner. He said he would be there. Does he have any further advice for us?"

"No. He didn't get to speak to the subject but he said to remind you of what he told you this morning."

Naylor leant back in his chair. "Which was mainly not to get too complacent and not to underestimate them."

"I would agree with him. I sat next to her at dinner and she needs watching."

Naylor tilted his head towards the oblivious Lieutenant-Colonel. "Rowe knows what he's doing. We've taken all precautions and we'll be vigilant." Naylor stretched slightly. "Well, now you're here I can go and get my dinner and some sleep. Next shift change is at oh-two hundred. Rowe's transcribing the calls they've made today so you can read over them and if you get bored you can listen to the recordings and double check them. There aren't many."

"Alright, I will do that."

A series of clicks had them both turning to one of the panels and a light began blinking as a soft whirr sounded.

"Tape's running," Naylor said as he looked at the indicator beneath the light.

"And that number is not Central HQ," the other Colonel said as he looked at another panel. They shared a look while the clicks continued behind them.

"You want to listen in?" Naylor asked as his hand reached for his set of headphones. The other Colonel was already moving to his seat and the headphones waiting there.

"Yes."

* * *

Ed heard the phone begin to ring at the other end and idly counted. Once, twice…

"_Hello Edward."_

"How'd you know it was me?"

"_Who else would call me at this time?"_

"Bastard." Ed leant back in the chair and began to get comfortable. "Did Falman ring through earlier?"

"_Of course he did. Still no results?"_

"Not yet. We're still cataloguing what's there so we can compare with what's not. Tedious and boring but necessary."

"_Yes. Didn't you say some items had been sent for testing?"_

"Yeah. I was hoping we'd get the results this afternoon but it will probably be tomorrow now."

"_Don't start trying to do their job too." _Roy's voice was slightly stern and Ed grinned.

"As if. I have enough of my own to do without doing theirs as well. Besides they're probably a damn sight more competent than those morons we had in Research."

"'_We'_ _Edward? As I recall _you_ were the one labelling them morons amongst other things."_

"That's because that Colonel of theirs was an idiot. If he applies for Research again, I'm not letting him back."

"_He won't be. I heard he was transferred elsewhere."_

"Good. Hopefully it's somewhere where he can't do much damage. At least here Stost seems like he knows his stuff." Ed put her booted feet up on to the table. "You know if it hadn't been for the Fuhrer and you, I think I'd like to have been assigned to Research."

"_Such are the sacrifices we make,"_ Roy's voice warmed her ear and her eyes widened slightly. Roy was sounding very relaxed and it was slightly unnerving. Was it just because he was at home? Had he been drinking while he had waited for her call? Was it because he was feeling the same way she was now that she was talking to him? Relaxed, relieved and with a small warm spot somewhere in her stomach. She shivered. Is that what it was? She shook her head. She wasn't going to think about that right now.

"Sarcastic bastard. At least then I wouldn't get invited to stupid dinners."

"_Oh yes and how was your foray into Officer territory?"_

"A complete fucking waste of time. _And_ I got seated next to the biggest asshole I think I've ever met."

"Even worse than the Councillor?" She could hear Roy chuckle.

"That asshole has some intelligence, _this _one couldn't see past the Colonel stars on his shoulders. _What _is it about being a Colonel that turns you all into morons?"

* * *

In a small room in South City Headquarters two Colonels looked at each other and blinked, and in Central an ex-Colonel struggled against the laughter he could feel building up inside.

"My dear Edward, it's not the Colonels at fault but the Lieutenant-Colonels we have to deal with that ruins us."

* * *

…

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for being so patient with me and this monster… it would have been here last weekend but for whatever glitch kept us out of ffnet and unable to update until now…

and yes, I really suck at thinking of chapter titles....

Tand ikh bayarlalaa

silken :)


	37. Arrivals and Reports

**Returning Echoes**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 37: Arrivals and Reports**

**.  
**

_Last chapter:_

"Sarcastic bastard. At least then I wouldn't get invited to stupid dinners."

"_Oh yes and how was your foray into Officer territory?"_

"A complete fucking waste of time. And I got seated next to the biggest asshole I think I've ever met."

"_Even worse than the Councillor?"_ She could hear Roy chuckle.

"That asshole has some intelligence, this one couldn't see past the Colonel stars on his shoulders. What is it about being a Colonel that turns you all into morons?"

* * *

In a small room in South City Headquarters two Colonels looked at each other and blinked, and in Central an ex-Colonel struggled against the laughter he could feel building up inside.

"My dear Edward, it's not the Colonels at fault but the Lieutenant-Colonels we have to deal with that ruins us."

* * *

"Just as well I was only a Major back then, wasn't it?" Edward smirked as she leant further back in her chair. She could feel his amusement through the phone and she felt the now familiar sense of easy warmth seeping in and making her relax. When she had first known him, it had been driving him into angry insulting outbursts that had pleased her. It was rather strange to realise that now she felt good when she heard him smile and laugh. _It's unnatural._

"_You were never _only_ a Major, Ed."_

"Like you were never_ just_ a Colonel?" Ed snorted.

"_You were the one responsible for adding all those extra adjectives."_

"And you deserved every one of them." Ed's grin was audible. "I didn't even have to try and think of them. Just the sight of your smug arrogant face was enough."

"_And you certainly wasted no time in letting me know exactly what you thought of my face or anything else to do with me, for that matter." _She laughed at the smirk she could hear in his reply.

"Someone had to help Hawkeye keep you in line. Falman was starting to complain about the ammunition requisitions she kept putting in."

"_That would be your fault." _Roy's voice was suddenly bland and Ed stiffened slightly, a frown creasing her forehead.

"And your logic is?" she asked warily, sensing but not seeing the direction he was taking. She knew he was going to have a dig at her, she knew it and her cautious tone would tell him she was aware of it. She didn't have to see his face to know he was smirking.

"_She only shot at me when I was arguing with you."_

"She did _not_!" Ed snapped back instantly, her relaxed state making it easy for the ingrained response to Roy's baiting to take over. "There were new patches on the walls and ceiling every time we got back from a mission." She smirked automatically as she went onto the offensive. "Al and I started to bet each other as to how many of them there'd be."

"_Was that because Al wouldn't play cards with you anymore?" _

"Oh shut up bastard. If you could've found a way to cheat at chess, you would've," Ed retorted and was rewarded with Roy's laughter.

"_And then Hawkeye might not have missed."_

"Now _that _I would've loved to have seen." Ed grinned.

* * *

Lieutenant Rowe slipped the headphones from one ear and turned around to look at the two Colonels at the other listening stations. It was a small room and it was easy for him to reach out and place a small piece of paper in front of Colonel Naylor. Colonel Naylor turned quickly after reading the single sentence.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Sir," Rowe replied in a soft voice.

"Good work. As soon as the call ends get it transcribed."

"Yes Sir." Rowe turned back, putting his headphones back in place and went back to transcribing the earlier calls and keeping an eye on the call currently being monitored.

Naylor nudged his fellow Colonel and slipped the paper to him. Eyes went wide and Naylor was faced with a wide grin.

"No shit? Really?" The Colonel's voice was overly loud and he realised it, slipping his earphones from one ear.

"Apparently so." Naylor had done the same. He had had enough eavesdropping experience to be able to split his concentration and not miss anything said either to his face or heard in his ears.

"He doesn't sound much like the Ice General. Are you sure?"

"Rowe is and that's good enough for me." Naylor paused. "And it was always rumoured that First-Lieutenant Hawkeye took a strong line with him."

"She's a Major now I think." The Colonel frowned thoughtfully. "Elric gave no hints that she was on such friendly terms with Mustang. That's his _home_ number she's called."

"If she served with him for as long as the reports say, it's feasible that they could be friendly," Naylor said slowly as he considered it.

"And we've been with Sarin for nearly three years. Friendly is the last word I'd use to describe my relationship with him. We're not even close. He's our General, our superior officer. And Mustang is hers. So where does all this 'friendship' come from?"

"Mustang has a reputation for being unorthodox. Even when he's followed orders there's always been that sense of something different about him. Most of the reports I've seen say that."

"I know but there's something more here." The Colonel's frown deepened. "She disappears for four years and then she re-appears. No matter how friendly they were, it doesn't explain why they're still so friendly now. Unless they had contact while she was gone."

"No-one has even hinted at that." Naylor stared.

"Maybe we should start to consider it. There's no telling where she was for those years. This could all be an act to cover up whatever is really happening."

"You've always been the suspicious type, Rourke, but aren't you reaching a bit here?"

"No, I don't think so. At dinner she shut Mantel down completely without any regard to rank or place. She may be here for the investigation but there's more to her than we know about."

* * *

"_So, how many complaints will I be receiving from this evening's events?" _

Ed snorted in response. "None. Unless that Colonel has a petty streak. Which he might have. I didn't look to see." She shrugged, not really worried. If the asshole did complain, he wouldn't get far. Once Roy heard what the Colonel had said, the Colonel would find himself on the receiving end of something rather more severe than anything Ed had said.

"_Nothing serious then?"_ Ed could hear a slight frown and realised once again that she really did know Roy too well. She could picture the way his forehead would crease before an eyebrow would lift as he sought confirmation and information without needing a full explanation.

"No. he just has some views on what soldiers should do that kinda differ from mine. Grand would've liked him," Ed added dismissively.

"_Ah, I understand." _And he did, Ed knew that and she knew she didn't have to say anything further. Roy had similar views on the late General and she had a feeling that they were stronger than hers judging by the grimness in his voice. _"I'm guessing you didn't hit him this time?"_

"I did think about it," she smirked and heard the lightening of his mood in his reply.

"_Then I should be grateful you didn't go through with it. It will get difficult to explain if you suddenly develop a habit for hitting Colonels."_

"That other Colonel was just asking for it, and you know it," Ed replied hastily. "Besides there are too many Colonels around here. I'd break my hand before I'd gotten halfway through them."

"_And Winry would not be pleased."_

Ed groaned. "Don't even say that." Roy laughed again and Ed smiled. It was strangely nice to hear him laugh and even stranger to feel the warmth that came from knowing that she was the one making him laugh. It was a warm laugh and it made her smile every time. Another facet to this 'I like Roy' place that was becoming more and more entrenched in her mind. Half the time she didn't even question it. Acceptance was slowly and surely taking over and it was becoming harder to summon up the anger and confusion she needed to be able to deny what was happening.

"I'd still like to get a day free to go and see them," she said after a short pause.

"_I don't see it being possible, Ed. You said the General wanted results as soon as possible and you know the Fuhrer wants that as well. I can't see anyone allowing you any time away from the investigation."_

"What if I got Al to come here? He could stay with Sig and I could say I need Winry to look at my arm…" she trailed off.

Roy's laugh was soft and sympathetic in her ear. _"Sorry Ed, you can't justify that one. It hasn't been more than a few weeks since you had your arm repaired. And who is Sig?"_

"Teacher's husband," Ed replied promptly. "Al and I lived with them while she trained us." Ed took a breath. "I need to go see her, Roy. I never had a chance to say good bye and if she knew I was close by and didn't visit she'd come back and haunt me _and_ I really wouldn't want that. It was bad enough when she was alive."

"_So I've heard. I'm sorry Ed, I really am but I can't see it being allowed. Not at this time. Perhaps when the investigation is finished and after the reports are handed in but not before."_

"After this is all done I'm going to be stuck with the asshole Kinase and the liaison job. And the research department's still in a mess. There won't be any free time." Ed grumbled.

"_I'm sure we can manage without you. That temporary Colonel seems to be handling things satisfactorily and I will talk to the Councillor. You won't be expected to take up your duties as soon as you return."_

"Ha! I'll believe that when I see it. I think he'll be waiting right outside the Fuhrer's door so he can grab me the minute I hand the report over. The guy's a pushy irritating asshole." She let her breath out in an audible stream. "You watch; he'll be on my back as soon as he can. He doesn't think I can handle it and he'll be trying to prove that as quick as he can."

"_It was the Fuhrer's decision, not his and you are more than capable. We've already discussed this. No matter what the Councillor tries, it will take time to get you set up as Liaison. A week will probably be all that you could be spared for."_

"A week will do fine. That would still give me nearly two days to spend with Sig and everyone. And I'll ring the asshole tomorrow." She sighed. "I'm going to have to get used to dealing with him."

"_And him with you." _Roy's snide tone had her laughing.

* * *

Colonel Naylor blinked, feeling rather lost as he listened to the conversation. Lieutenant-Colonel Elric was sounding like no Lieutenant-Colonel he had ever met before. She spoke seemingly without fear or favour of anything. She had _hit_ a Colonel? She called First Councillor Kinase an asshole? Naylor had never met the Councillor but he had heard several rumours. The First Councillor was not someone you took lightly and it sounded as if she was going to be working with him. At the Fuhrer's command? He looked around and met the eyes of Colonel Rourke.

"Told you there was more to her."

"Yes." Naylor nodded and went back to listening.

* * *

"Hey bastard?"

"_What Ed?"_

"D'you think I can get the Fuhrer to agree that I never have to wear a skirt again?"

"_What brought that on?"_

"Colonel Becfor. He said I should've been wearing one tonight."

"_It is a part of the formal uniform and required at certain events. You wore it for the Parade. You even wore it as a bet, so why query it now?"_

"Because Becfor seemed to think that I'd have one with me. I'm down here to investigate an explosion. A skirt is the last thing I'd think of. It's not going to help me finish any quicker."

"_But you never know when there will be an official function."_

"And wearing a skirt will make me more acceptable? I'm here to do a job and nothing else."

"_I doubt anyone was offended by your lack of a skirt, Ed." _She could hear the smile in his voice.

"He made it seem so damned important," Ed complained before shrugging. "But I ignored him anyway."

"_So I can expect a complaint either about your dress sense or your attitude. You really did behave yourself if that's all I have to watch out for."_

"Sarcastic bastard." There was no spite in the insult and Ed wondered if she ever would feel that bitter edge again. She'd never stop insulting him but the resentment and - at times – hatred she had once felt about him had long since died. If anything the insults lately were almost affectionate in tone and feel.

"_You would be disappointed if I changed."_

They both laughed and Ed nodded. "No-one would recognise you. And they'd never believe it anyway."

* * *

Naylor had his eyes half-closed. The easiness between the Lieutenant-Colonel and the Lieutenant-General was remarkable. Completely comfortable with each other. In all the conversations he had listened to, it was rare to find two people less self-conscious of what they were saying. So many people tried too hard when they used the phone. Because they couldn't see each other often Naylor would have to sit through long tedious instructions and descriptions as people tried to make up for the lack of visual clues. This was good when the information pertained to his objectives, but most times it didn't and he often got very bored. But these two spoke as if they were sitting opposite each other. They seemed to know each other very well. There were no apologies or excuses for words or intonations. They read each other without needing clarifications. It was refreshing. It was also frustrating. Naylor needed the clarifications to ensure that there would be no misunderstandings.

Gathering information was easy enough but it was too easily misconstrued or incomplete. Naylor didn't like that. The information he supplied to his superiors was always correct and complete. There were never any errors or even the slightest chance of one. He had built a reputation on it. No matter where it came from Naylor always double checked and triple checked all possible permutations and connotations of his information. He cross-referenced it with anything and everything that could possibly be pertinent. If there was one thing he hated above all else it was having to say "We're not completely sure what this means". Naylor was a professional when it came to information retrieval. Unlike some – and he avoided looking at Colonel Rourke – Naylor preferred precision and facts to instinct.

* * *

Ed yawned. "I guess I'd better be going. At least tomorrow we should have _something_ to report on."

"_I'll look forward to it. Get Falman to bundle up what's happened so far and send it to us once you have those first results. We can do any checking here if it's needed."_

"Okay." Ed yawned again.

"_Don't wear yourself out, Edward."_

"You sound like Falman," Ed grinned slightly.

"_We know what you're like." _There was a corresponding grin in the words.

"Fucking great," Ed groused with no emphasis. She'd had enough people tell her that she tended to become slightly – _completely_ - obsessive at times that his words came as no surprise. Obsession was an Elric trait and they all knew it. "Falman's making sure I don't get too carried away. I think Hawkeye had words with him about it."

"_She probably did. She, like the rest of us, does care about you."_

"I know. I …care about you all as well." Ed fidgeted and hesitated from saying more. 'I like you' trembled at the tip of her tongue but she couldn't bring herself to say it. It didn't feel right to just blurt it out. It had been different last night. Last night the conversation had been about the whole liking issue. Tonight's had not and that made it feel wrong to suddenly bring it up. Besides they didn't really need to say it every night, did they? It wasn't as if she was going to forget it any time soon and she didn't think Roy would forget either.

"_Go and sleep, Ed. Ring me tomorrow and let me know how it goes."_

"Okay." But she couldn't leave him without something so she added softly, "Take care Roy."

"_You too, Edward."_

* * *

Simultaneous clicks echoed in Naylor's ears and he waited for a few moments until he heard the relays click again and the tape stop spooling before he pulled his earphones off. He stretched and turned around to face Colonel Rourke.

"We'll have the transcript ready for the General to read in the morning. It won't be a complete report yet. The personnel files are due later tomorrow and I'll be able to check and confirm what I can."

"She is definitely an interesting person." There was a small smile on Rourke's face. "A very interesting person indeed."

* * *

Edward filled her tray up as she walked in the line for breakfast. Eggs, bacon and a couple of sausages. Tomato, toast and coffee. Everything she needed and it would get Falman off her back if she could say honestly that she'd had a full breakfast. Because she knew she'd probably end up skipping lunch again and Falman would force her to have lunch if he knew she hadn't had breakfast. Balancing her tray and mug she wove her way easily along the trestle tables to a vacant spot. She had barely settled when someone sat beside her.

"G'morning Lieutenant-Colonel," a cheery voice said and she looked to her right to see Colonel Rourke setting his tray in front of him as he got comfortable. "You're starting early. It's barely six-thirty. Mind if I join you?"

"Hello Colonel." She gave him a casual amused glance as he settled and waved uselessly at the table. "You already have." She went back to her breakfast adding, "Six-thirty is hardly early. I slept in."

"Tsk. How lazy of you," Rourke murmured with a smile as he started on his eggs. "You'll have to work back late to make up for it." Ed shot him a quick glance to confirm that he was teasing. His easy manner of the night before was obviously his normal nature if he could be so light-hearted this early in the morning.

"I'd be doing that anyway," she replied around a mouthful of toast and bacon.

"Such dedication," Rourke said and felt Ed turn to look at him. He met her gaze keeping his face as clear as he could. The humour was still in her eyes but her eyebrow was lifted as if she had caught something that she hadn't expected.

"I live but to serve," she stated with a sardonic edge and he laughed.

"I believed you more when you said you'd slept in." His laughter was infectious and she grinned.

"Actually I really did sleep in." Her grin widened. "I'm usually here at six."

"It must be my lucky day then." He smiled at her as she looked confused. "Your sleeping in has given me the chance to get to know you better."

Edward blinked. She'd only met him last night and now he was spouting a line that she could almost hear Roy saying back in the old days. And she was almost positive she was blushing as her face began to feel warm. She looked at him closely. Dark hair, not as black as Roy's and probably not as soft. Deep blue eyes, not midnight blue like Roy's. His face was lightly tanned and there were laughter wrinkles around his eyes. Not at all like Roy's pale _smooth_ skin. She recalled that he was taller than Roy and broader across the shoulders. Edward blinked again. Why was she comparing him to Roy? He wasn't Roy; it was stupid to compare them so _why_ did she have this need to do so?

Colonel Rourke wondered what was going on as she stared at him. He'd had women stare at him before but none with quite the air of examination as the Lieutenant-Colonel was. It was an unexpected response to his light flirting. He wasn't even sure if she realised that he was flirting with her. The light blush on her cheeks suggested she did but the staring seemed to negate that. He began to feel like a subject in one of Stost's laboratory tests. But he had to admit that those golden eyes were extremely gorgeous as she kept cataloguing his features. She blinked and a puzzled look flashed across her face before it disappeared.

"Why?" Ed asked bluntly. She couldn't think of any reason a man she had met once would be wanting to know her better. No _real_ reason anyway. The light almost flirty tone he had used was dismissed almost without thought. Even Roy didn't flirt with her. It wasn't as if she was a girl or anything and she'd be damned if she was going to even pretend to behave like one. She hadn't forgotten the Councillor's comments at the civic function and her self-awareness was getting stronger. She was Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric investigating an explosion on the Fuhrer's orders and regardless of her gender or age _she_ knew she could do this.

It was Rourke's turn to blink. He'd never gotten that response before. He'd had women blush and look suddenly self-conscious, he'd had women react with disinterest and he'd had a couple that hadn't picked up on the light flirty line but he'd never had one question it. And he was at a loss how to answer it. Somehow he didn't think any of the normal responses were going to work this time. Which left honesty.

"Because you interest me." It was as honest as he could be without saying anything incriminating. "And we got on well last night."

Ed snorted, a decidedly unladylike noise as golden eyes stayed fixed on the Colonel. "Considering the company we were in, that's not really saying much. And I'm only here temporarily."

"Have you ever thought about transferring down here?" Rourke asked suddenly.

"Why'd I want to do something like that?" she laughed.

"You have to admit the weather here is better than Central," he carried on easily.

She shrugged. "I've never paid much attention to the weather," she replied dismissively and concentrated on her breakfast. Rourke almost missed the shadow that crossed her face as he looked to his own meal.

* * *

Within ten minutes of reaching the explosion site Edward had forgotten about Colonel Rourke as she dug around the bottom of the pit, shifting more debris and pulling at contorted steel fragments. She didn't notice the others arriving and it took Falman several tries to get her attention when the messenger arrived from Colonel Stost.

"Colonel Stost sent these, Edward," Falman said for the fourth time as he waved the folder in front of her face again. This time there was recognition in the golden eyes and she grabbed the file.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Ed asked automatically as she flipped it open. Falman rolled his eyes. It was unnecessary for him to reply. Edward knew he would have tried a few times to get her attention.

"There will be more results coming this afternoon. Colonel Stost has been allocated more men to help speed the testing, according to the Corporal who brought this," Falman contented himself with saying.

"Sarin _really _wants to know what happened doesn't he." Ed remarked as she read. "He asked me last night as well. I'm guessing that Stost sent a copy of this to the General as well?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Get another copy and send it to Central, or should we wait for the next one if it's due this afternoon?" Ed pondered.

"There's a late express train leaving tonight. They could both go on that."

"Do that then. And anything else you think the bastard should have as well."

"I'm sure I can find some paperwork that has to be sent," Falman said blandly, meeting Ed's knowing smirk with a faint twinkle.

"Good." Ed looked over the file in her hands again. "There's nothing in this that we weren't expecting to find. No unusual substances so far. Traces of most of the heavy oils and diesel we knew they had stored here. Nothing to indicate what ignited it all yet."

"I've made enquiries regarding the soldiers involved in the blast. None of them can remember anything sparking. No-one was smoking, even though they did want to according to one private, but with an inspection about to happen they were more afraid of getting caught. Apparently the General has very strict rules about smoking in his presence."

Ed blinked. "Really?"

"Yes." Falman gave her a small grin. "The General doesn't smoke and won't allow anyone to smoke near him."

Ed laughed. "Havoc'd never survive here." She shook her head. "I don't recall Eastern being this regulated."

"It wasn't," Falman replied. "A different General in charge with different expectations of what his command should be. The rules and regulations were the same but its how they're applied that determines the feel of a base."

"Well, I won't be transferring down here any time soon that's for sure." Ed waved the report. "I'm going to show this to the others," she added and headed over to where Ralke and van were standing. Falman blinked and wondered where Edward had dragged that seeming non sequitur from.

* * *

General Sarin studied the report on his desk and then looked up to Colonel Becfor.

"And there is more information coming this afternoon?"

"Yes Sir."

"Hmm. Nothing untoward has been found to date, is that correct?"

"Yes Sir."

"So it would appear that this incident was an accident."

"It would appear so, yes Sir." Becfor handed over another file. "The transcripts from Lieutenant-Colonel Elric's phone yesterday, Sir."

Sarin opened it and began scanning the sheets. Two calls from her Senior Warrant Officer to organise a visit to the injured soldiers, one to thank the base hospital afterwards. One from Captain Grant to Central enquiring about stress points for steel beams. One from Major Havoc in Central wanting to know if Falman wanted in on a bet. General Sarin frowned at the frivolousness. When he ran Central there'd be no room for such idleness. He stopped when he came to the last call and his eyes narrowed.

"The Lieutenant-Colonel called the Lieutenant-General _at home_?" His voice rose slightly and he lifted a surprised face to Becfor.

"Yes Sir. We double checked. It was definitely Lieutenant-General Mustang's home number." Sarin frowned and looked back into the file.

"Quite a friendly call too. I wasn't aware that they were on such terms with each other."

"No Sir. All reports detail a level of acrimony between them." Becfor paused. "The personnel files we requested will be arriving this morning."

"Good. Bring them to me as soon as they arrive. And look further into Elric's interactions with Mustang." He frowned. "There's something strange about this Elric and I want to know what it is."

* * *

The personnel files passed easily through the large gates to South Headquarters. The two young people traveling with them did not.

"I'm sorry Sir, but only military personnel are allowed further." The corporal at the gate spoke no hint of apology in his voice.

"Then perhaps you can send a message to Lieutenant-Colonel Elric and let her know that her brother is here to see her," Alphonse responded in his usual polite manner.

The corporal studied the young man. He didn't look very old but there was an air of confidence about him that was slightly daunting. Young men shouldn't be so comfortable when approaching military bases the corporal thought. The young woman at his side seemed equally comfortable and confident. The corporal frowned and marched efficiently to the gate house where the duty sergeant was sitting.

"Sergeant, there's a couple of kids here wanting to see Lieutenant-Colonel Elric," he said as he half-entered the doorway, keeping one eye on the gate. "Isn't that the one that's down here from Central? The one they say's also the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"Yes, I heard that too." The sergeant frowned. "What's the kid look like?"

"Young, blond, tall. Nothing special. He says he's the Lieutenant-Colonel's brother. There's a young woman with him too."

"Go and tell the Lieutenant-Colonel," he said. "The Lieutenant-Colonel has a brother but he's supposed to be a State Alchemist."

"The kid looks too young to be an alchemist."

"Doesn't matter. Better to be safe than sorry. And it's not like we're letting him on to the base." The sergeant looked at the corporal. "If he's not who he says he is we'll find out as soon as the Lieutenant-Colonel gets here." The corporal nodded before trotting off to the explosion site. The sergeant stood up and made his way to the gate. The corporal was right. The young man looked impossibly young at first glance.

"We've sent a messenger to the Lieutenant-Colonel. Should get an answer back soon," he said easily and the young man nodded.

"Thank you Sergeant." Alphonse stepped back and stood next to Winry. He smiled at her. "Ed won't keep us waiting."

"Not if she knows what's good for her, she won't."

* * *

Ed dropped the beam she was carrying when she was told. It had taken Falman several minutes to get her attention, it took seconds for her to be moving up out of the pit and running hard towards the front gates. The corporal tried to follow her, but gave up as she easily outpaced him. He arrived to find the Lieutenant-Colonel already caught in a tight hug with the young man while the young woman looked on indulgently.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ed exclaimed as she twisted free and looked at them both. "Where are you staying?"

"We'll stay with Sig," Al told her. "The Lieutenant-General told us you wouldn't be able to come home while you were on this investigation so we thought we'd come and see you."

"What's that bastard doing?" Ed asked with a small scowl. "I was going to organise a week with you after I'd handed in the reports."

Al shrugged, ignoring both the scowl and the question. Ed moved to hug Winry and had no choice but to stand still as she tugged up Ed's sleeve to check the automail.

"Do you mind?" Ed asked.

"No." Winry turned the arm around and manipulated the wrist joint. "It's looking good. You haven't broken anything… yet." She let go of Ed's arm and pulled her into a hug with a laugh. Ed relaxed into the hug, meeting Al's eyes and they grinned at each other behind an oblivious Winry.

The sergeant watched them, his eyes widening at the sight of gleaming metal. He wasn't sure what to do next. The Lieutenant-Colonel obviously knew the young couple so it appeared that the young man really was her brother. But the Lieutenant-Colonel wasn't stationed here so the rules that would normally apply to family visiting didn't apply – at least he didn't think so. He had heard that both Elrics were in the military but the young blond – Al, he'd heard the Lieutenant-Colonel call him – looked like a normal civilian, nothing military about him at all, and General Sarin had strict rules for who was allowed on his base. The sound of someone softly clearing his throat behind him had everyone turning to face the newcomer.

"Senior Warrant Officer Falman," Al greeted the older man with a smile.

"Mr Elric," Falman replied with correct civility and a smile in return. Ed rolled her eyes at them.

"You're as bad as each other," she commented. "Not sure I know what I did to deserve that." Falman and Al turned to stare at her with nearly identical sceptical looks.

"You know you can't be let out without someone to babysit you, Ed," Winry said with a laugh, easily deciphering that double look.

Ed glowered at them all, trying hard not to reply. She knew they were teasing and any response she gave would just add to their enjoyment. She really had no way to defend herself. There had been too many incidents in _his_ youth that could be dragged up and used to counter any argument she mounted. It was humiliating and decidedly annoying. Any attempt at retaliation was only going to add to the humiliation so she contented herself to heaving a loud and theatrical sigh and eyed them both with a casual glance.

"And yet whenever someone wanted something done, it's always _me_ they called for," Ed said with studied carelessness just loud enough for them to hear. Winry snorted lightly and Falman's eyebrows rose.

"Because if they didn't, you'd complain about being ignored and treated like a child," Al retorted with perfect equanimity and they all saw Ed's face redden and the golden eyes narrow as Edward glared at her brother. Falman exchanged an amused look with Winry, before he stepped forward to distract Edward from her imminent rant.

"Where are you lodging, Alphonse?"

"With Mr Curtis in Dublith. Winry and I thought we'd call and see Ed first before we went there."

Ed grumbled. "No-one's giving me any time off from this investigation or I'd come with you."

"It's just a bit too far, Sir," Falman said apologetically. Getting to Dublith from South Headquarters would take half a day which meant any visit was going to take the better part of two days if Edward wanted anything approaching a decent amount of time to spend there.

"Being retired now means I don't get Military billeting anymore," Al remarked with a smile. "Otherwise I'd be able to stay here with you."

"Winry'd have to find someplace though," Ed smirked, her mercurial temperament evident and running strong with her excitement of having Al with her. Falman hid his grin as Winry snapped back at Ed and Al laughed at their squabble. The gate guards watched with wide eyes and Falman stepped back next to them.

"Perhaps you could send a message to Colonel Becfor for me," he murmured to the Sergeant.

* * *

Colonel Becfor placed the heavy file on General Sarin's desk. The folder was worn and faded and looked to be over two inches thick. _'Elric, Edward' _was printed clearly along one edge. _'Personnel File: Copy: To Be Returned' _read the label stuck firmly in the centre on the cover. Another label further down bore the signature of someone from the Personnel Department and beneath that Colonel Becfor had signed to show that it had been received. He knew that when the file was sent back it would end up with more labels to prove that it had been returned. The Military's need to label and account and track everything was something Becfor greatly appreciated. It made his job easier.

Sarin looked at the file for a long moment. "Have you read it?"

"No Sir." Becfor shook his head even though the General had not taken his eyes from the file.

"See that I am not disturbed for the next hour," Sarin ordered as he reached out to pull the file closer to him.

"Yes Sir."

Becfor stepped away from the desk with a nod and a salute. He walked quietly from the office and closed the door behind him. He passed on the General's orders and headed to his own office next door. His secretary, a smart young Major stood up as he appeared and held up a piece of paper.

"A call from the gate for you Sir."

Becfor took the note and looked at it. "The Lieutenant-Colonel's brother is here?"

"Yes, sir and Senior Warrant Officer Falman would like a word with you if it could be arranged."

Becfor frowned, trying to look thoughtful rather than worried as he wondered just how coincidental that request was. His pragmatic side came to his rescue.

"Tell the Warrant Officer I will see him now," Becfor decided. The General would want him in an hour. If the Warrant Officer's request had anything to do with the Elrics – which it probably did - then the General would want to know and it would be efficient and practical to have that information ready and waiting. Colonel Becfor always tried to be practical and efficient.

* * *

General Sarin read steadily. Page after page, report after report. Despite himself he found Edward Elric's file to be fascinating. He had intended to skim through it, to find the information he sought but he found himself reading the reports from individual missions. Edward Elric the General quickly realised, did not fit into any category of soldier he had ever known. First impressions from the reports suggested that Edward Elric had been a public menace to both people and property. The General counted over two dozen dischargeable offenses within the first four reports alone. _Allowances for his age. _Sarin snorted cynically at that notation on several reports.

The more he read the more he was forced to revise his opinion. Edward Elric got the job done. The boy had completed every assignment he had been given despite the damage he caused. Not only that, but the people seemed to appreciate his efforts if the many letters and documents received from civilians was anything to go by. The same people that complained about the damage were just as quick to compliment and Sarin sighed at the fickleness of civilians. Civilians, Sarin had decided early in his career, were a necessary evil, good only for supplying the Military with men and services.

"The People's Alchemist," Sarin muttered and frowned. _Alchemist_. Most of the missions Elric had been sent on had been alchemy related. Some as ridiculous as the Philosopher's Stone, others more credible. To apprehend a rogue alchemist, to investigate possible chimera sightings and to assist other alchemists. Obviously Mustang had had to find something for the boy to do. After all twelve was hardly the best age for anyone to join the Military.

Sarin wondered why the boy had been allowed to sit the exam in the first place. He found the copy of then Lieutenant-Colonel Roy Mustang's request to allow one Edward Elric - age eleven - to sit the exam and stared at the words scrawled across it. _Approved upon competency confirmation, Fuhrer Bradley. _Two extra pages were attached. One was signed by a Shou Tucker, Sewing Life Alchemist, who claimed to have tested the boy's ability and been suitably impressed. He had recommended the boy be allowed to continue despite his age. The other was from General Hakuro's office stating the boy had been resourceful in a recent brush with would-be rebels and deserved the chance to make something of himself. Sarin almost smiled at the condescending tone of the letter, but obviously it had worked and the application had been approved. Sarin wondered if any of them had expected the boy to actually pass the exam. Which he had done in rather a startling manner if the next page was anything to go by.

_No circles needed…too young for active deployment…need to know if his technique can be taught to others… several Generals have expressed interest in having the Fullmetal Alchemist assigned… physical testing would be necessary… controlled experimentation required…investigate possibility of familial trait… mother deceased, younger sibling (brother) sickly, father missing… _Sarin skimmed the page. Another scrawled note from Fuhrer Bradley. _Decisions regarding the future of the Fullmetal Alchemist to be deferred until he reaches maturity. He is to remain under the command of Colonel Mustang and posted to East City until his sixteenth birthday whereupon he will be seconded to my command for further instruction._

Sarin frowned. The late Fuhrer had obviously had an interest in Edward Elric. Sarin briefly wondered what would have happened if the Fuhrer had not died and Elric had remained in Amestris. He also wondered if Edward Elric had been aware of the plans that had been made for him, but he doubted it. Elric would not have returned to the Military if he'd known there'd been the chance of his being experimented on. He looked at the reports again. Given permission to sit the exam at eleven years old, the boy had been twelve when he'd passed it. He'd still been twelve when he'd shipped out to East City and begun the first phase of his military service.

Except that even Sarin would not have sent a twelve year old on some of the assignments Elric had been sent on. Colonel Roy Mustang seemed to have had no qualms about the boy's age and sent him off with little or no back-up from what Sarin could see. And Edward Elric had succeeded, with each completed mission adding to Mustang's growing reputation. Sarin wasn't sure if that made Mustang a tactical genius or a lucky fool.

Mustang. Sarin knew the stories. He'd never been one to pay much attention to gossip but it had been hard to avoid back then, especially for a newly minted General wanting to keep track of any possible threats to his new status. Fuhrer Bradley had been known to play favourites with his Generals on occasion. Mustang had been just a Colonel, but he had been one that people had heard of, he had been someone that people knew about. No-one had heard of Sarin, no-one talked about him. Which he now counted as a blessing as he had avoided the fallout that had come after Fuhrer Bradley's disappearance and still slightly unexplained death. Sarin shook his head.

Mustang had been quiet, almost unseen and unheard of these last four years. His involvement in the death of the late Fuhrer Bradley had been the subject of rumour and innuendo, all of it discredited through several inquiries held soon after the event. Sarin frowned. Mustang had been promoted shortly before Fuhrer Bradley's death but he'd voluntarily dropped back to a Colonelship within a year. And now he was a Lieutenant-General. Just a few short months after Edward Elric had reappeared. Sarin wondered if there was a connection. Coincidences only went so far. He began to search the file for more recent reports.

Over halfway through the file he found a single page. The transcript of a short interview with a young Alphonse Elric and Izumi Curtis. The notes at the side of the page said the boy had been found unconscious in the company of a young woman and baby and all three had been taken to Central Hospital. It had taken three days before Alphonse had been identified and Mrs Curtis had arrived soon after to take him into her care. She had taken him away as soon as the interview had been completed. Sarin had once met Izumi Curtis and he had no doubt that the Military had not been able to stop her. He was slightly amazed that she had allowed the military to talk to the boy at all.

Alphonse Elric had stated that he had no memory of the four years he had followed his brother. He didn't know where Edward had gone, he didn't know why he'd been in armour and he had no recollection of First Lieutenant Hawkeye who had been present at the interview. Izumi Curtis had filled in some of the gaps. Apparently the boy had been weak and sickly and the armour had been for his protection. Mrs Curtis had mentioned the disturbance at the Devil's Nest and Sarin flicked through the file to find the relevant report. It confirmed what his own staff had already told him. Edward Elric had been there and even detained for safety reasons at one point along with Mrs Curtis.

Sarin re-read the interview. Mrs Curtis had claimed that Edward and Alphonse had been tracking several dissidents but they hadn't told her more than that. Another page in the file seemed to confirm that. There was mention of an explosion at a supposedly vacant laboratory caused by these same dissidents and the Elrics had been given the task of finding them.

Sarin kept turning the pages. The boys had been in pursuit for quite a few months it appeared and they had been interrupted by the events of Liore. Ordered to deploy there by Fuhrer Bradley. Again it was a single page that detailed Edward's alchemic attempt to keep the explosion of Liore from decimating the soldiers remaining on the outskirts of the city. Sarin frowned. _Alchemy. Alchemist. _

He was struck by a sudden thought and rifled rapidly through the file. He found them bundled at the back of the file. Two copies of Edward's notifications of State Alchemist Title attached to two copies of the State Alchemy Examination papers. Transcripts of his two interviews. Accounts of both practical components. Copies of two re-certification reports and one battle assessment. One report and the battle assessment had been handed in through East Headquarters but the other report bore the stamp of South Headquarters. He looked at the date. It was around the same time as the Devil's Nest incident, and he skimmed the report. Circles and formulae covered the pages. He didn't understand any of it and the handwriting was bordering on illegible. But someone had read and understood it. It had been stamped. _Certification approved. _Sarin wasn't sure if he was relieved or suspicious that all the documentation proved that Edward Elric had been, and was again, a State Alchemist.

Sarin kept searching through the back half of the thick file. Another bundle of reports proved to be medical in nature and he placed them to one side. Five minutes of further searching brought up a handful of pages with recent dates. He spread the pages out. A handwritten proposal for the restructuring of the Research Department. A note authorising Edward Elric to restore and restructure the Research Department. An official letter of Notice for the Appointment of Central Council Liaison. Terms and conditions drawn up for Edward Elric's return to Military service. And finally the one report Sarin wanted to read above all others.

Edward Elric's hand written report on her return to Amestris.

* * *

Colonel Becfor nodded his head as Falman finished speaking.

"I understand, but the General is quite strict about letting non-military personnel wander around his Headquarters."

"Alphonse Elric is a retired Major, Sir. He's not the average citizen. And he is an alchemist as well. His aide would be beneficial to all."

"I realise that, Warrant Officer. I can let the General know that Mr Elric is here and it will be his decision as to what access the young man may have." Becfor didn't try to intimidate Falman with an outright refusal. He knew it wouldn't work. In some ways the Senior Warrant Officer reminded him of himself. Men who needed to have all the _i's _dotted and _t's_ crossed with all angles covered. Men who thought of the solutions to problems the others hadn't begun to think of. Men who understood that having a query referred to a superior officer was a sign of following the chain of command and not a method of passing the buck.

"Thank you Sir." Falman bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of the Colonel's response and kept his placid expression firmly in place. He doubted Colonel Becfor did anything without the General's approval and he hadn't expected the Colonel to react otherwise.

"Let the ex-Major in," came a cheery voice from the door and both Becfor and Falman turned. Falman blinked at the unknown Colonel standing in the doorway and saluted automatically. Becfor frowned at the newcomer.

"You know that would be against all regulations," he said calmly, too used to the Colonel's manner.

"I know, but I doubt the General would refuse to allow him entrance." The Colonel stepped further into the room and acknowledged Falman's salute with a small nod. He moved easily to the desk and leant against it. "The General can't be interrupted for another hour and you don't really want to make the kid wait at the gate for all that time do you?"

"How do you know about it, Rourke?" Becfor asked.

"I passed them on my way in," Rourke replied with a casual shrug. Becfor's eyes narrowed and the two Colonel's stared at each other for a long moment.

"Excuse me Sirs, but Mr Elric wouldn't be wanting to enter South Headquarters until tomorrow. He intends to organise the lodgings for his fiancée and himself first. This matter can wait until the General is available," Falman interrupted with a gentle depreciating manner.

"It certainly can," Becfor agreed with a mild glare at Colonel Rourke who blandly smiled back. "I will make sure you are informed as soon as the general makes his decision," Becfor told Falman.

"Thank you Sir." Falman saluted them both and left the office as quietly as he had entered it.

"He seems very efficient," Rourke noted.

"He is," Becfor replied. "It makes a pleasant change." There was no special emphasis in Becfor's voice and he didn't look at the other Colonel. Rourke laughed.

"But not as much fun."

* * *

Edward watched Al and Winry disappear along the South City streets and let her breath out. She turned to Falman who was standing silently a few feet away.

"Back to work I guess," she said.

"Yes Sir," Falman replied and started to walk back to the explosion site.

"D'you think Sarin _will_ let Al through the gates?" she asked as she took a last look over her shoulder as if able to still see her brother.

"I wouldn't presume to know what General Sarin will do," he responded with the perfect example of a properly subordinate manner and Ed laughed.

"Maybe you should have asked if he'd let me _out_ of the gates instead," she grinned. "You know I don't remember Eastern being this strict about entry. Is this another one of those whoever's in charge makes the rules thing?"

"Yes, although admittance isn't usually _this_ tightly controlled," Falman mused.

Ed shrugged. "Maybe he had a bad experience before." Ed took a few more steps. "Or he could just be paranoid."

"Most Generals get over being paranoid once they've been Generals for a while," Falman told her.

"Really?" Ed's eyes widened and she smirked. "I thought paranoia was the usual military mindset. I remember it being one of Ro… the bastard's middle names. Right up there with arrogant megalomaniac most days." Falman rolled his eyes and she laughed.

"There will always be a certain amount of paranoia in any soldier, Edward. It's necessary for our survival, but it's not true paranoia, it's more that we're all suspicious and looking out for possible threats."

"So when a soldier goes from being suspicious to truly paranoid he's up to no good?"

"Or he's overly worried for the men in his command," Falman remarked.

"Would have said Sarin was more worried about results than he was about his men," Ed noted. "But that's no cause for paranoia that I can see. The Fuhrer doesn't seem like someone who'd target a General for poor results. I think he'd go after them for not looking after his soldiers first."

"Maybe. I'm sure we'd all like to believe it but Edward, he's the Fuhrer. He wouldn't hesitate to remove a General or you or me if he thought we were a threat to the country or to the military."

Edward blinked at the solemn tones and paused for a long moment. She had forgotten what Hawkeye had said about the Fuhrer after that first lunch. Ed recalled the Fuhrer's brisk and completely controlled manner when he had sent her on this assignment. His earlier casual and friendly manner to her had disappeared and it had been all business. Ed hadn't thought much of it because she had agreed with it. Had seen the necessity of attending to the matter at hand because it had been more important than anything else at the time. For a moment she wondered if his friendly attitude had all been an act but she tossed that thought aside quickly. It had been too genuine, there had been no other agendas. Not at first.

It was different now. The asshole Kinase had tried to tell her and she hadn't understood as much as she thought she had. He'd told her that the Fuhrer wouldn't allow her to refuse the Liaison position. He'd told her that she had no idea what she was getting herself into. And he'd been right. She hadn't understood, she hadn't consciously realised all the possible ramifications it meant for her personally. Beyond the inconveniences she'd whined about, beyond worrying over the many possible reasonings for her appointment was the indisputable fact that she was now directly answerable to someone who had a plan she knew nothing about. Again.

His teens had been dominated by Mustang and his unspoken plans and now she'd gone and placed herself right back into a similar position, except this time it was the Fuhrer who controlled her fate now. And there was no-one to command him otherwise. Not like the last Fuhrer. Ed didn't know how much protection Dante's orders had granted him from Bradley during his earlier service, but he'd been free of most military restrictions up until Liore. Perhaps if things had been different after Liore… if he and Al hadn't left and gone into hiding. If he hadn't been able to convince Mustang not to hand them in. If, if. There were too many ifs in Ed's past.

Ed shook herself out of her thoughts. She wasn't going to add another one to the list. Besides she'd have to go all the way back to her decision to re-enlist to avoid this one, and that wasn't going to happen. And this Fuhrer was completely human and while he probably did have an inhumane streak of duty and honour, he did have a sense of humour, and she did like him. Despite his close friendship with the asshole Kinase.

Ed mentally shrugged. She was letting her thoughts ramble again. She'd been doing that more often these last months. Looking backwards, looking sideways and getting distracted when she wasn't concentrating on the matter at hand. She blamed Roy. If she hadn't started worrying over how she felt about him, her mind would be its proper logical self and not this strange mishmash that wandered wherever it wanted. She shook herself. Time to start thinking about the explosion again. Time to get back to work. She looked at Falman as they headed back to the pit and grinned slightly.

"I think he should remove Sarin for having too many Colonels and then I wouldn't have to sit through another dinner like last night."

* * *

Three pages covered in scrawling handwriting with crossed out lines and spelling mistakes. Sarin stared at it. He was too used to neat typewritten reports that he'd forgotten what raw information looked like. There'd been no attempt to change or censor anything and he wondered why no-one had typed it up. Why had it been left like this?

… _taken by them into an underground cellar…going to use a hostage from Liore to add weight to their demands… the Fuhrer's secretary was supposed to be there, don't know why…used alchemy to get free, Al was hurt…found a large circle… had elements for human transmutation in it… not sure of it's whole purpose, would've needed a few months of study to figure out…large explosion when the circle was activated… the woman who appeared to be in control died…suspect she hadn't had enough control over the reaction… other two escaped and I followed…human transmutation is highly illegal, had to stop them from trying it again…_

…_over two weeks on foot to West City… fugitives knew I was there… damaged my automail when they jumped me… short fat one disappeared, think he was hurt… tried to call Central HQ but couldn't get through… with my watch gone, had no way of proving identity…kept following the other one, kept heading westward…_

…_left Amestris…took six months to get through Creta… the bastard knew I was still following him…thought about letting him go, but he started to kill random strangers…called himself Envy… couldn't let him continue, had to keep following him… I think he'd been there before, he knew exactly where he was going… he never had a problem getting supplies, felt like he knew every back alley in every city we went through…_

… _kept following…had no idea what countries I went through, languages all so different…automail began failing often and no-one seemed to know what it was… they didn't seem to know about alchemy either… avoided using it as much as possible…_

… _took a year… found Hohenheim of Light in a place called London… major war in progress meant I lost track of Envy… Hohenheim replaced my automail with prosthetics, nowhere near as good, but I could walk properly again…helped me track down the fugitive Envy…_

…_Hohenheim died… Envy killed him… I killed Envy…_

… _couldn't get back… the war in the way…had to wait nearly a year before I could start working my way back home… war was still going on but it had become concentrated on a couple of fronts… found gaps and went around the hot spots…felt like I was walking through massive graveyard…landscape much changed…_

… _war ended but became harder to travel… people very wary of strangers…most towns had military patrols made up of ex-soldiers, rationing made it hard to get food… caught a local fever…nearly two months to recover enough to travel again… prosthetics didn't work so well anymore… after effects from the fever made me more tired… _

…_back in Creta…what took six months the first time took nine this time…Cretans don't seem to like alchemists or strangers much, got run out of several towns… I think they thought I was a spy or something…stayed away from the main traffic routes for safety… Creta has several mountain ranges…nice to look at, very hard to walk over…_

…_found a small outpost obviously been deserted for years, writing on the wall Amestrian…hoped that meant I'd found the border and was back home again… it had a telephone in there but it didn't work… looked around, found the line had gone, decided to follow the poles…three days later found the last of the poles and the burnt out foundations of another outpost…_

…_took a week to find anyone…small, very small, village, somewhere south of the West Districts… was definitely back in Amestris… no communications though, only a post coach once a fortnight…decided to keep on walking… followed the coach road…_

…_half-trained alchemists are stupid and dangerous…came across a pair of idiots with a circle they'd gotten from a book… didn't like the look of the circle…looked like it was too many circles put together… 'Alchemical Formulae and Calculations' they claimed it to be, but they'd burnt the cover off… looked more like Bassey's Treatise On Mineral Properties In Alchemic Reactions to me…wondered if they were trying to make gold, Bassey had been rather outspoken on the subject… tried to grab the book… small altercation over book…circle reacted…_

…_woke up and found two dead alchemists and me – changed…_

…_my prosthetics were gone, I had my leg back, I was female…judging from the remains, I think the reaction took material from the idiots as well as me to use in the transmutation…unpleasant after effects from the change…massive headache and took two days to stop throwing up… another day to be able to stand…_

… _they'd been trying to recreate the Midas myth… Teacher once said it was an obscure legend that alchemists had long since proven false about being able to make gold from a human touch… not sure how they learnt about it, but they'd assumed that by combining the illegal alchemies of making gold and human transmutation they could make it work… however Bassey's circles are used in the destruction of gold, not manufacture… notes seemed to suggest they thought they could draw the circles in reverse and then apply it to themselves to make up the human element of the equation… idiots…_

…_destroyed all their notes…buried what was left of them…_

… _decided it would be safest to make my way home, to Resembool first and then get into contact with Central HQ afterwards… needed to get my arm replaced as well and to get some form of identification as I didn't look like me anymore…had been nearly four years since I'd left…needed to know what had happened to Al and to everyone else…_

…_found Al in Resembool, got automail for my arm…found out Al was a State Alchemist now… headed to Central with him…_

Sarin put the pages down.

* * *

Edward found it hard to concentrate completely on dragging more debris from the pit and decided to head to the gym hall for some exercise. There was always someone there now that she could spar with. She wondered as she warmed up what they'd make of Al when – if – he was allowed into South Headquarters. It would be good to spar with her brother again. She had to keep remembering to be careful with her automail with these soldiers, with Al she didn't have to. Al knew how to avoid it and how to take a hit from it if he had to, they didn't. They all thought she was good, wait until they saw what Al could do. She grinned with anticipation as she walked past the ring of spectators to see who she was facing today.

* * *

"I thought I said I wasn't to be interrupted." General Sarin looked up as Colonel Becfor entered.

"Yes, Sir but it's been over an hour and there are several matters that need your attention." Becfor stood straight. He didn't often push against the General's orders and always felt nervous when he did.

"What matters?"

"There's another report come through from Colonel Stost's department with more results and Alphonse Elric has appeared in South City, Sir."

Sarin's eyebrows drew together. "Alphonse Elric?" he repeated.

"Yes Sir. He approached the gates and spoke with the Lieutenant-Colonel for a short while before he left. Senior Warrant Officer Falman did ask if Mr Elric could be granted permission to enter, to help his sister with the investigation."

"Where is he staying at the moment?"

"In Dublith, Sir. With a Mr Curtis." Becfor didn't have to elaborate. The General knew who Mr Curtis was. Sarin was silent for a long moment.

"Granted. Day access only."

"Having to travel between Dublith and here would take up most of his time, Sir." Becfor felt the need to point out.

"He can find lodgings close by if he wants," Sarin replied. "He is no longer a part of the military so we are not required to offer him a billet."

"Yes Sir."

"Leave the copy of Stost's report."

"Sir." Becfor placed the file on the desk and saluted. He knew a dismissal when he heard it.

* * *

Edward returned to pit to find Falman waiting for her.

"General Sarin has allowed Al entrance to South Headquarters but on a day pass basis only."

Edward frowned. "What does that mean?"

"He'll only be allowed in between 0900 and 1600 hours each day."

Edward's breath puffed out. "That doesn't leave much time with travelling."

"He might have to find somewhere close to stay for a few days. That's if Al agrees. And Miss Rockbell won't be allowed to accompany him."

Ed grimaced. "Winry won't like that." Ed looked at the large hole in the ground. "And Al'll accept it, even if it's only for a day or two. Al's too curious for his own good sometimes."

Falman smiled. "Just like you." He held up a file. "More results from Colonel Stost." Ed just smirked in response and took the file. She began to leaf through the few pages inside as she headed to the desk. She dropped into a chair and let the file rest on her lap.

"They've found nitric acid."

Falman looked at her with a puzzled frown. He had skimmed through the results and while he hadn't understood much of it, there had been nothing in the report summary to indicate there was a problem.

"Is that a problem?"

"Depends. We knew there'd be some traces of it. There was some ammonia based cleaners stored here. But the results show there's more than I'd expected."

"What else is it used for?"

"Fertilisers, dissolving metals, you can even use it for purifying gold, but the main use is for explosives."

* * *

Sarin re-read Edward Elric's report of her return before he leant back and surveyed the mass of paper that made up her file. All he had left to read was the medical section. He really didn't know what to make of her. He had thought her file would give him some idea of what and who she was. Instead he was left with confusion. She was a soldier with an attitude he'd hate to have in his command, but she was efficient, she got the job done. She was practical, she wasn't fanciful. She was too young and yet she'd done more than some twice her age. Contradictory and conciliatory. She seemed loyal but he wasn't sure where that loyalty was directed.

He looked at the file. He'd read her medical history and then maybe the transcript from the taped calls again. Then he had that report from Stost to look at and then dinner. Maybe after that he'd let Becfor read her file, see what a second opinion would be.

* * *

Edward and Falman sat in the office they'd been given reading file after file. Ralke looked in at the doorway and grinned slightly.

"Coming to dinner Ed?" he called and she looked at him blankly for a moment before she realised what he'd said.

"No thanks." She waved a hand over the desk. "I want to get this figured out."

"You need to eat," Ralke replied firmly.

"I agree," Falman agreed suddenly.

"Then bring a couple of plates back," Ed said with a sigh.

"The mess hall doesn't do that," Ralke told her.

"Then I'll go later," Ed responded vaguely as she picked up another file, already scanning the page.

"Edward." Ralke's voice became firm.

"Not now Ralke," Ed replied equally firmly. She was reading the file and missed the exchange of glances between Falman and Ralke. Falman reached over and pulled the file from her hand.

"You will go and eat, Lieutenant-Colonel. I will expect you back in thirty minutes when we will continue this and you can make the daily phone report." Falman was sterner than either of them and he allowed no refusal. Ed frowned at him and scowled. "No arguments or I will inform both the Lieutenant-General and Alphonse."

"You've been taking bastard lessons haven't you?" she groused glaring at him fiercely. Falman simply smiled at her. Swearing under her breath in several languages, Ed stood up and stomped to the door.

"Thirty minutes," she snapped at Falman. "Come on Ralke, stop dawdling!" She left and Falman could hear her stamping footsteps going down the hall. Only when he was sure they were out of earshot did he start laughing.

* * *

Exactly thirty minutes later Ed returned and found Falman sitting at the desk.

"And when do you eat?" she asked as she entered.

"I ate earlier, Sir," he replied easily.

"I'm going to call Al first. Let him know the General's decision." She looked at the desk. The files that had been scattered everywhere were now stacked neatly. "You tidied."

"Yes, it's what I do," Falman blandly remarked. Ed met his eyes and they laughed. Ed walked around the desk and sat down. She picked up the phone and dialled.

"You know the number?" Falman questioned.

"Yes," Ed said shortly as she listened to the phone click and the soft noise of it ringing at the other end.

"_Dublith Meat." _A deep slow voice answered and Ed felt her spine twitch.

"Sig," she whispered, her voice losing its strength. She coughed slightly and tried again. "Sig, its Ed."

"_Edward?"_

"Uh yeah. How are you? Is Al there?"

"_Yes, he arrived a short while ago. He said you were back. Everything is well here."_

Ed envied Sig's calm manner. He'd always been so calm no matter what happened around him. He always seemed so stoic but he could be surprisingly vocal when he felt it was needed.

"Can I have a word with him?"

"_Yes, he's hovering near by." _A small pause. _"She'd like it if you came for a visit."_

"I know. I want to do that, but it might have to be after I finish here."

"_As long as you do. She did understand the necessity of the military even when she didn't approve."_

"At least she won't hit me this time."

"_I will do it for her." _ There was the faintest shadow of a smile in the deep voice and Ed grinned. _"Here's Al."_

"Al!"

"_Hey sis. Didn't expect you to call."_

"Thought I'd do it now. Let you know that you can come help with the investigation if you want."

"_They gave me permission to enter?"_

"Yeah. Only on a day pass though. Restricted hours. You'll have to find somewhere in South if you want to do it."

"_I remember a few places that weren't bad when I was searching for you."_

"Oh and Winry's not included. She'll have to stay behind."

"_That will make her happy."_ Al's voice was sarcastic and Ed laughed. _"Careful Ed, I might just let you tell her that."_

"You wouldn't!" Ed snapped back in horror.

"_That's what brothers do."_

"Only horrible ones," Ed grumbled and Al's laugh echoed in her ear. "How's Sig?"

"_He's good. Mason lives here now. They have a cat too."_

Ed smiled at the lilt in Al's voice. "I will try and get there to see them and Teacher after this."

"_I know Ed. Sig understands. How much longer do you think?"_

"No idea. You were always good with formulae, you can help sort out some of the compositions. There's a good lab here. Any extra help will get us to the answers quicker."

"_And if it was just an accident?"_

"Then we'll find that out too. Al, I don't want to rush it and miss something, but I don't want to spend the next six weeks doing this either. I know Sarin and the Fuhrer don't want it take that long, but they don't want the wrong answers either. We've always worked well together and I'd rather have you than anyone else helping out here."

* * *

"Isn't Alphonse Elric a State alchemist too?" Colonel Naylor asked as he listened to the conversation in his earphones.

"Used to be. He retired recently," Colonel Rourke replied.

"He's only a kid!" Naylor exclaimed.

"Eighteen I believe."

"Why did the General grant him admittance?"

Rourke shrugged. "Don't know, but these two are obviously close. Alphonse Elric is reported to have spent years searching for his brother."

"Wonder what he feels like having a sister now," Naylor mused.

Rourke grinned. "Maybe I'll ask him while he's here."

"Rourke," Naylor warned his fellow Colonel.

"Don't worry," Rourke smiled winningly. "I'll be careful and discreet."

"You're never careful." Naylor sighed. "Can you even spell discreet?"

* * *

Ed hung up with a smile.

"Al will probably be here the day after tomorrow," she told Falman.

"I'll let colonel Becfor know so he can get the pass organised."

"Thanks." Ed stretched and looked at the phone again. "Now for the bastard."

"Would you like me to leave you alone while you call the Lieutenant-General, Sir?" Falman asked politely and Ed looked at him suspiciously. There was a distinct twinkle in his otherwise expressionless face.

"Well I can't really complain about you if you're here now, can I?" She grinned.

* * *

.

* * *

.

Nitric acid is made via oxidation of ammonia.

The main use of nitric acid is for the production of fertilizers, other important uses include the production of explosives, etching and dissolution of metals especially as a component of aqua regia for the purification and extraction of gold, and in chemical synthesis.

Author's Note: yes, the monster is back… I haven't forgotten it, nor any of the others… the bunnies are still with me even if they don't care to sit still long enough to be caught these days… I wasn't too sure at stopping here but Ed and Roy always like to spend a long time talking so I thought they could have the next chapter to do that… lol…

And a very big thank you to everyone for not giving up on the monster or me… Hvala vam

silken :)


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